Acute phase proteins in patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms.

Both stenosis and aneurysmal dilatation are associated with atherosclerosis of the distal aorta. As part of an investigation into factors predisposing to aneurysmal dilatation we compared the levels of acute phase proteins in patients with stenosing and aneurysmal disease. Increased levels of acute phase proteins were found in patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms compared with patients with stenosing aortic disease. In 20 aneurysm patients the C-reactive protein was 56 +/- 10 mg/l, alpha 1-proteinase inhibitor 2.5 +/- 0.13 g/l and ceruloplasmin 0.41 +/- 0.01 g/l. In 20 patients with stenosing aortic disease the C-reactive protein was 28 +/- 8 mg/l, alpha 1-proteinase inhibitor 1.65 +/- 0.11 g/l and ceruloplasmin 0.35 +/- 0.03 g/l. These results argue for the participation of an inflammatory process in the aortic wall in the pathogenesis of all aneurysms.