Altered levels of circulating natural antibodies against VEGFR1-derived peptide in atherosclerosis

BACKGROUND: Several lines of evidence have pointed to a protective role of natural antibodies in chronic diseases like atherosclerosis and cancer. Vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1 (VEGFR1) and VEGFR2 are important regulators of angiogenesis and may be involved in the development of atherosclerosis. In this retrospective study, we developed an in-house enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to assess whether natural IgG levels against VEGFR1 and the regulatory T cell markers CD25 and FOXP3 were associated with atherosclerosis. METHODS: A total of 218 patients with atherosclerosis and 200 healthy controls were enrolled. All patients had atherosclerotic carotid plaques. Carotid intima–media thickness was analyzed using a diagnostic ultrasound system. RESULTS: Plasma anti-VEGFR1 IgG levels were significantly lower in patients with atherosclerosis than control subjects. Decreased anti-VEGFR1 IgG levels were more obvious in male patients. Spearman correlation analysis showed no significant correlation between natural IgG levels and carotid intima–media thickness. CONCLUSIONS: Decreased levels of anti-VEGFR1 IgG may be involved in development of atherosclerosis and related conditions.