Background: Endothelial lipase (EL) is a phospholipase expressed predominantly by vascular endothelial cells. The goal of the present study was to examine whether EL plasma levels in patients with carotid artery stenosis differ between those with previous history of neurological impairment and those without neurological symptoms.
Methods: EL plasma levels were measured by a competitive ELISA assay.
Results: EL plasma levels were significantly higher in the symptomatic, compared with the asymptomatic group (mean 489.61 ± 145 ng/ml (n = 31) vs. 388.39 ± 133 ng/ml (n = 24), t-test, P = 0.011).
Conclusion: We concluded that increased EL plasma levels reflect the patients' overall susceptibility for cerebrovascular events.
Keywords: Atherosclerosis; Carotid artery stenosis; Endothelial lipase; Neurological impairment; Carotid endarterectomy.