Patients with risk factors have higher plasma levels of lysophosphatidic acid: a promising surrogate marker for blood platelet activation.

Although basic medical studies have shown that lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) has an important relationship to activated blood platelets, we know little about this from clinical experience. This pilot study examined plasma LPA levels in patients with a risk of thrombotic events and evaluated the effects of aspirin on plasma LPA levels. In this basically cross-sectional study, we recruited 1352 patients with either hypertension or hyperlipidemia and 670 controls without any risk factors. Patients with risk factors had significantly higher plasma LPA levels than controls, the mean of LPA = 3.12 ±â€Š2.24 vs. 2.57 ±â€Š1.96 µmol/l, P < 0.001. The patients who had been taking aspirin had relatively lower plasma LPA levels compared with those who did not take aspirin, χ = 43.8, odds ratio (OR) [95% confidence interval (CI)] = 2.76 (2.03-3.75). For the hypertension group, χ = 23.1, OR (95% CI) = 3.44 (2.03-5.82), P < 0.001; for the hyperlipidemia group, χ = 22.9, OR (95% CI) = 2.53 (1.72-3.74), P < 0.001. Patients with a risk factor had higher plasma LPA levels compared with controls. Administration of aspirin may decrease elevated plasma LPA levels. This pilot clinical observation indicates that plasma LPA is worth to be studied further.

[A preliminary study on the correlation between clinical makers with the length of patients' hypertension history].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the correlation between length of hypertension history with plasma level of A Phospholipids Component with the Similar Solubility of Lyso-Phosphatidic Acid (APCSSLPA or briefly AP). So that to farther understand the changes accompanied with prolongation of hypertension history. METHODS: This is a small cross-sectional study. 170 patients with primary hypertension and 79 normal controls without hypertension history were enrolled. The lengths of case history were recorded and compared with their plasma levels of AP. Similar study were also conducted on other 11 clinical makers as references. RESULTS: AP correlated significantly with the length of hypertension history. Correlation coefficient beta is 0.186, P = 0.015. But AP did not correlated significantly with systolic or diastolic pressure of patients. The age of patients did not correlated with AP either (beta = 0.027, P = 0.71). The patient's number with middle or high level of AP was significantly larger in the group in which hypertension history was 10 years or more, than in the group in which hypertension history was less then 10 years. chi(2) = 6.51, P = 0.012. OR = 2.444, 95%CI = 1.219 - 4.903. However, lysophosphatidic acid and other 10 bio-makers which often be used in cerebrovascular and cardiovascular diseases, such as blood lipid, blood sugar, different kinds of lipoprotein and D-dimer etc. did not correlated significantly with hypertension history. CONCLUSION: Comparing with 11 clinical makers, AP was the only one correlated with the length of hypertension history. Our findings suggest: the prolongation of hypertension history may accompanied with increased oxidative damages. The patients with prolonged hypertension history should prevent this possible threaten. Furthermore, AP is a very promising marker with unique worth in cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.