Paper in The JCI describes research that found antibodies against E1 and E2 peptides.
A research team from the University of Maastricht, The Netherlands, found biomarkers to detect the presence of ruptured atherosclerotic plaques. They observed that the blood of individuals with ruptured atherosclerotic plaques contained antibodies reactive against two peptides, E1 and E12.
The presence of these antibodies was detected extremely early after the onset of symptoms of a heart attack, according to the investigators. They caution, though, that further studies on additional patients are needed before this work can be translated into the clinic.
Scientists from Hasselt University in Belgium and Organon Biosciences, now a part of Schering-Plough, also contributed to this research. Their findings appear in The Journal of Clinical Investigation.
