CD36 - new risk marker for lifestyle-related diseases Analysis of CD36 in a blood test can identify patients with a high risk of developing lifestylerelated diseases such as atherosclerosis and type 2 diabetes.
Background Atherosclerosis and type 2 diabetes are huge health challenges in the Western world, and is also a growing problem in developing countries due to the continued spread of the unhealthy Western diet and lifestyle. Atherosclerosis and type 2 diabetes, and its associated debilitating and life-threatening complications are conditions that develop over a long period of time. There is a growing need to early identify patients at increased risk of developing these lifestyle diseases to ensure quick and effective prevention and treatment.There are currently a number of indicators for lifestyle-related diseases such as identifying cholesterol fractions and high-sensitive CRP. However, there is also a growing recognition of these indicators’ limited ability, to discriminate which patients are at greatest risk of developing these diseases. Newly identified biomarkers to Âpredict risk It is well documented that the presence of the protein CD36 on macrophages (type of white blood cell), plays an important role in the accumulation of cholesterol in the walls of blood vessels. Research at Aalborg University Hospital supports the theory that CD36 is a basic factor in the atherosclerosis process. Aase Handberg, Clinical professor at the Department of Clinical Biochemis-
try and her research team, have identified a novel form of CD36 protein in the blood - plasma CD36. Plasma CD36 is not bound to the cells, and is therefore easy to measure in a blood sample. The team’s studies show that this form of CD36 has significant potential as a predictive marker for risk of atherosclerosis and diabetes. We have analyzed a large amount of blood samples from patients with conditions such as type 2 diabetes, polycystic ovary syndrome (condition with ovarian cysts associated with increased atherosclerosis risk) and obesity. The analysis showed an increased concentration of plasma CD36. This result identified a greater risk for atherosclerosis developing in these patients. In addition, the research team has shown that the amount of plasma CD36 is increased, compared to patients with stable plaque, in patients who developes unstable arteriosclerosis plaque (which is the primary indicator of disease mortality). Subsequently, the team has developed an analytical method with which to measure plasma CD36 - in order to identify a correlation between the measured value and the relative risk
for the patient in developing atherosclerosis.
INVENTOR Aase Handberg, MD, Chief Physician, dr.med, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Aalborg University Hospital.
Development of diagnostic kit The next step in the validation of plasma CD36, as a clinically relevant predictive biomarker of cardiovascular diseases, is to study blood samples over time from large groups of healthy people. This is to identify who have (or have not) developed atherosclerosis over a period of 10-20 years after the blood samples were first taken. Work is underway to develop a sustainable and more robust validated method of analysis. The improved analysis methodology will be used in further clinical studies to validate the biomarker’s clinical value and to support long-term development of the biomarker as a diagnostic tool. The diagnostic tool was developed in collaboration with an industrial partner.
Aalborg University Hospital Science & Innvoation Center Sdr. Skovvej 15, DK-9000 Aalborg Tlf. +45 97 66 63 00 ideklinikken.dk, ideklinikken@rn.dk The North Denmark Region JUNE 2015