Purpose: To evaluate the usefulness of serum lipoprotein(a) as a biomarker of clinical outcomes after endovascular therapy (EVT) for atherosclerotic aortoiliac lesions.
Methods: Serum lipoprotein(a) concentrations were measured at admission in 189 consecutive patients (median age 72 years; 160 men) with peripheral artery disease who underwent EVT for aortoiliac occlusive disease. The patients were dichotomized into 2 groups based on serum lipoprotein(a) levels ≤40 mg/dL (LOW; n=135) or >40 mg/dL (HIGH; n=54). After EVT, the incidences of major adverse limb events (MALE) were analyzed. Predictors of MALE were sought with a Cox proportional hazards analysis; results are presented as the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval.
Results: At the median follow-up of 33 months (interquartile range 11, 54), MALE occurred in 44 (23.3%) patients. The MALE-free survival estimate was significantly lower in patients in the HIGH group (55.6% vs 85.2%, p<0.001). Independent predictors of MALE after EVT were hemodialysis (HR 2.23, 95% CI 1.04 to 4.78, p=0.039) and high lipoprotein(a) levels (HR 2.80, 95% CI 1.44 to 5.45, p=0.003).
Conclusion: High lipoprotein(a) levels were associated with a higher incidence of MALE after EVT for patients with aortoiliac lesions.
Keywords: adverse limb events; angioplasty; aortoiliac segment; atherosclerosis; common iliac artery; endovascular therapy; lipoprotein(a); peripheral artery disease; prognosis; stenosis; stent.