Soluble LR11 is a novel biomarker for vascular lesions late after Kawasaki disease

Examination of a Low-density Lipoprotein Receptor Relative with 11 Ligand-binding Repeats (LR11) as a Biomarker in Esophageal Cancer

Objectives

Some previous studies reported that the levels of a low-density lipoprotein receptor relative with 11 ligand-binding repeats (LR11) was a prognostic marker in some malignant tumors; however, whether LR11 is related to survival in patients with esophageal cancer remains unclear.

Methods

In this study, we measured LR11 in the preoperative serum of 46 patients of esophageal cancer who undergoing surgery using a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method with anti-LR11 monoclonal antibodies. We investigated the correlation between the level of LR11 and survival of patients with esophageal cancer. Clinicopathological data were retrospectively retrieved from our institution's database.

Results

The patients were divided into two groups (low LR11 and high LR11) based on the level of LR11. There was no statistical difference in clinicopathological factors between these two groups. The low LR11 group had a significantly longer overall survival than the high LR11 group.

Conclusions

LR11 can be measured with a relatively simple ELISA and is potentially a new prognostic marker for esophageal cancer.

Soluble LR11 as a Novel Biomarker in Acute Kawasaki Disease

BACKGROUND

Intimal smooth muscle cells (SMCs) play an important role in the vasculitis caused by Kawasaki disease (KD). Lipoprotein receptor 11 (LR11) is a member of the low-density lipoprotein receptor family, which is expressed markedly in intimal vascular SMCs and secreted in a soluble form (sLR11). sLR11 has been recently identified as a potential vascular lesion biomarker. sLR11 is reportedly elevated in patients with coronary artery lesions long after KD, but there is no description of sLR11 in acute KD. Our aim was to determine the sLR11 dynamics in acute KD and to assess its usefulness as a biomarker.Methods and Results:106 acute KD patients and 18 age-matched afebrile controls were enrolled. KD patients were classified into the following subgroups: intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) responders (n=85) and non-responders (n=21). Serum sLR11 levels before IVIG therapy were higher in non-responders (median, 19.6 ng/mL; interquartile range [IQR], 13.0-24.9 ng/mL) than in controls (11.9 ng/mL, 10.4-14.9 ng/mL, P<0.01) or responders (14.3 ng/mL, 11.7-16.5 ng/mL, P<0.01). Using a cutoff of >17.5 ng/mL, non-responders to initial IVIG therapy were identified with 66.7% sensitivity and 78.8% specificity.

CONCLUSIONS

sLR11 can reflect the state of acute KD and might be a biomarker for patient response to IVIG therapy.

Insights Into Coronary Artery Lesions in Kawasaki Disease

This review summarizes recent advances in understanding the development of coronary arteritis in Kawasaki disease. Kawasaki disease is the most common cause of acquired heart disease among children characterized with coronary artery abnormalities, which can cause myocardial ischemia, infarction, and even death. The pathogenic factors of Kawasaki disease and the pathological process of coronary artery disease are not clear at present, which brings challenges to the prevention and treatment of the disease. The treatment of Kawasaki disease focuses mainly on timely administration of intravenous high doses of immunoglobulin and aspirin. However, there are still some patients who do not respond well to this standard treatment, and its management remains a challenge. As a result, coronary artery lesions still occur in patients and affect their quality of life. In this review, we discuss updated research data of Kawasaki disease coronary artery lesions.