High serum VE-cadherin and vinculin concentrations are markers of the disruption of vascular integrity during acute aortic dissection

Background In the present study, we measured the serum vascular endothelial cadherin (VEC) and vinculin (Vcn) concentrations in patients with acute aortic dissection (AAD) to evaluate their diagnostic value for this condition. Methods One hundred patients with AAD and 60 matched controls were included in the study. The serum concentrations of VEC and Vcn were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Results The serum VEC and Vcn concentrations were significantly higher in participants with AAD than in healthy controls. Receiver operating characteristic analysis generated areas under the curves for VEC and Vcn that were diagnostic for AAD (0.604 and 0.665, respectively). The optimal cut-off values were 3.986 ng/µL and 128.1 pg/mL, the sensitivities were 43.0% and 35.0%, and the specificities were 73.3% and 90.0%, respectively. In addition, the use of a combination of serum VEC and Vcn increased the AUC to 0.739, with a sensitivity of 56.0% and a specificity of 76.7%. A high serum Vcn concentration was associated with a higher risk of poor visceral malperfusion in participants with AAD (odds ratio [OR] = 1.007, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.001–1.013, p = 0.014). In participants with refractory pain, the adjusted OR for the serum VEC concentration increased to 1.172 (95% CI: 1.010–1.361; p = 0.036), compared with participants without refractory pain. Conclusion This study is the first to show the diagnostic value of serum VEC and Vcn for AAD and their relationships with the clinical characteristics of patients with AAD. Thus, VEC and Vcn are potential serum markers of AD.