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Is there a role for biomarkers in thoracic aortic aneurysm disease?

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  • Controversies in Surgery for Thoracic Aorta
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Abstract

Thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) represents a major cause of mortality and morbidity in Western countries. The natural history of TAA is indolent, with patients usually being asymptomatic until a catastrophic event such as rupture or dissection ensues. As such, early diagnosis is crucial and the search is ongoing for a biomarker that can indicate the presence of TAA with sufficient accuracy to act as a screening tool. To date, no such marker has been developed for the diagnosis of non-familial or ‘sporadic’ TAA. However, our increased understanding of the pathogenesis of both familial and sporadic TAA has suggested potential candidates for diagnostic biomarkers. Many markers/pathways have been shown to have differential activity levels or expression in the aortic tissue of TAA. However, priority is given to markers that have shown differential levels in blood plasma, as blood tests represent the easiest route for mass screening for TAA. This review aims to evaluate the efficacy of clinical tests already in use in diagnosing TAA, explore novel proposed biomarkers and identify key areas of future interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cardiac Surgery, Barts Heart Centre, St Bartholomew’s Hospital, West Smithfield, London, EC1A 7BE, UK

    Damian Balmforth, Amer Harky, Benjamin Adams, John Yap, Alex Shipolini, Neil Roberts, Rakesh Uppal & Mohamad Bashir

  2. William Harvey Research Institute, Charterhouse Square, London, EC1M 6BQ, UK

    Damian Balmforth & Rakesh Uppal

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  1. Damian Balmforth
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  2. Amer Harky
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Balmforth, D., Harky, A., Adams, B. et al. Is there a role for biomarkers in thoracic aortic aneurysm disease?. Gen Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 67, 12–19 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11748-017-0855-0

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