Peripheral Artery Disease Diagnostic Test Program Evaluates Biomarker Panel

A program has been initiated to evaluate a new blood test that may help improve the quality of life for individuals suffering from peripheral artery disease (PAD).

Vermillion, Inc. (Fremont, CA, USA), a molecular diagnostics company, has recently compiled data supporting its PAD diagnostic program. The results were published in the August 2008, issue of the journal Vascular Medicine. The study was led by John Cooke, M.D., Ph.D., professor of medicine at Stanford University (Stanford, CA, USA), and involved researchers at Stanford, Mt. Sinai Medical Center (New York, NY, USA), and Vermillion.

"PAD is a serious disease that often goes undiagnosed and untreated,” said Dr. John Cooke. "A blood test that identifies people at risk for this debilitating condition will improve diagnosis and give these people a better chance of getting the life- and limb-saving therapy they need. Our study indicates that this biomarker panel could assist physicians in identifying those individuals at highest risk of having PAD.”

The study comprised 540 individuals: 197 individuals with both coronary artery disease (CAD) and peripheral arterial disease (CAD + PAD); 81 with CAD only; and 262 with no hemodynamically significant disease (NHSD) of the coronary or peripheral arteries. Blood plasma was analyzed for a series of candidate biomarkers, and a final biomarker panel comprising beta-2M, cystatin C, high sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP), and glucose had an increased association with PAD status (odds ratio = 7.3).

PAD, a serious but frequently asymptomatic disorder affecting some eight to 12 million people in the United States alone, is caused by the accumulation of fat and cholesterol, or plaque, in the peripheral arteries, disrupting normal blood flow. Left untreated, PAD more than doubles the risk of heart attack and stroke, increasing the risk of amputation and death. There are treatments that can save the lives and limbs of these patients, once the disease is recognized.

Vermillion has entered into an exclusive license agreement with Stanford University to develop and market the PAD biomarker panel. Vermillion is focused on the discovery, development, and commercialization of diagnostic tests that help physicians diagnose, treat, and improve outcomes for patients. Vermillion, along with its prestigious scientific collaborators, has diagnostic programs in oncology, hematology, cardiology, and women's health.

Related Links:
Vermillion
Stanford University
Mt. Sinai Medical Center