Title:Microparticles: From Biogenesis to Biomarkers and Diagnostic Tools in Cardiovascular Disease
Volume: 12
Issue: 2
Author(s): Nicoleta Alexandru, Ana Costa, Alina Constantin, Daniel Cochior and Adriana Georgescu
Affiliation:
Keywords:
Biomarkers, cardiovascular disease, diagnostic tools, microparticles.
Abstract: Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the main object of morbidity and death in the world. There
are different triggers of CVD, but atherosclerosis and/or hypertension are the most usual. CVD risk factors
are used as prognosticators of disease process, while the biomarkers that envisage cardiovascular risk
have an important biological basis. The integration of CVD risk factors and new biomarkers can improve
CVD risk stratification and disease management. The identification of microparticles (MPs) in body fluids
has opened new perspectives in diagnosis, prognosis and therapy of CVD pathogenesis. MPs are
submicron vesicles released from a diversity of cell types with pleiotropic biological effects on signaling
among cells. They are correlated with disease state and play a major role in atherosclerosis associated
with inflammation, thrombosis as well as in CVD development and progression. This review reveals
many sides of MPs as risk factors, biomarkers, novel forms of intercellular communication, non-invasive
potential diagnostic tools and discusses their positive and negative impact on CVD.
