Footprints of Neutrophil Extracellular Traps as Predictors of Cardiovascular Risk

Abstract

Cardiovascular events, such as myocardial infarction and stroke, are leading causes of mortality and morbidity in Western societies. Biomarkers could help to predict the risk of a patient and to advance the treatment of people at risk by allowing fine-tuning of the intensity of therapy.1 Although more recent studies have used proteomic, metabolomic, and genetic approaches to identify biomarkers, Borissoff et al2 here investigate the importance of double-stranded DNA, nucleosomes, thrombin-antithrombin complex complexes, and myeloperoxidase (MPO)–DNA complexes in predicting the severity of atherosclerosis and the risk of future cardiovascular events. Their data indicate that these markers were elevated in patients with severe coronary atherosclerosis or calcified coronary arteries. Furthermore, plasma nucleosome levels were found to be associated with an increased risk of coronary stenosis, whereas MPO–DNA complexes predicted the occurrence of major adverse cardiac events. Double-stranded DNA, nucleosomes, and MPO–DNA complexes are all markers of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), a mesh …