THE SIGNIFICANCE OF CERTAIN PRO-ATHEROGENIC AND PRO-INFLAMMATORY MARKERS FOR EARLY DIAGNOSIS AND RISK STRATIFICATION OF ATHEROSCLEROSIS IN YOUNG AND MIDDLE-AGED INDIVIDUALS

Objective: To assess key proatherogenic and inflammatory biomarkers related to the severity of atherosclerosis in patients with early stable disease. Methods: The study involved 86 participants, including 65 patients with early stable atherosclerosis and 21 healthy volunteers. All participants had their lipid-related marker levels of Lp(a), ApoB, ANGPTL3, and Lp-PLA2 measured, along with several novel inflammation markers: SIRI, SII, NLR, PLR, and MLR. The participants in the study were divided into three groups based on the number of arterial segments affected by plaque. The arteries examined included coronary, brachiocephalic, iliac, and common femoral arteries on both the right and left sides. The groups were categorized as follows: those with no affected segments (none of plaque burden), those with 1 to 3 affected segments (moderate plaque burden), and those with four or more affected segments (severe plaque burden). The data were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), Spearman rank correlation, and logistic regression. Results: Higher levels of Lp(a), Lp-PLA2, and ApoB were linked to increased severity of atherosclerosis, whereas HDL-C levels exhibited a protective effect. Inflammatory markers (SIRI, NLR) showed a positive correlation with the severity of atherosclerosis. Conclusion: Lipid-related and inflammatory markers are closely linked to the severity of atherosclerotic lesions, emphasizing their potential for early diagnosis and risk assessment. Larger cohort studies are necessary to validate these findings. Keywords: Atherosclerosis biomarkers, inflammatory markers, atherosclerosis, lipoprotein (a).