Highly expressed S100A12 in aortic wall of patients with DeBakey type I aortic dissection could be a promising marker to predict perioperative complications

Abstract

Background: Thoracic aortic dissection (TAD) is a catastrophic acute disease with a high postoperative mortality and few biochemical factors are known to predict outcomes. This study evaluated whether S100A12 could be a promising marker for TAD.

Methods: A total of 72 patients with DeBakey Type I TAD and 18 heart donors as control group were studied. Immunohistochemistry of TAD tissue for S100A12 and hematoxylin-eosin staining, and alizarin red staining were examined. The expression of S100A12, proinflammatory protein specific for early recruited phagocytes, was studied by Western blotting of biopsies. In addition, S100A12 was further detected in serum samples from the same groups.

Results: S100A12 was markedly expressed in the tissue of patients with TAD in comparison with healthy control subjects (48; 66.7% vs. 0%). Serum concentrations of S100A12 in patients with TAD were significantly higher than in healthy controls (27.5 ± 2.2 vs. 16.0 ± 1.9 μg/L; P < 0.001). The upward trend of serum was consistent with that of tissue. The length of hospitalization differed significantly among S100A12 immunohistochemical groups (P < 0.001). Increased S100A12 serum levels correlated significantly with postoperative stay in hospital (r = 0.457; P < 0.001).

Conclusions: Our findings suggest that an elevated S100A12 level could play a crucial role in systemic inflammation and may be a promising biomarker for predicting cardiovascular events and perioperative complications in patients with TAD.