Increased plasma olfactomedin 2 after interventional therapy is a predictor for restenosis in lower extremity arteriosclerosis obliterans patients

Animal studies have indicated that olfactomedin 2 (OLFM2) is involved in the process of vascular remolding. The aim of the present study was to investigate circulating OLFM2 levels in lower extremity arteriosclerosis obliterans (LEASO) patients and the association of OLFM2 with postoperative restenosis in patients. A total of 203 LEASO patients were enrolled in the present study. Plasma OLFM2 was measured before and 6 h after interventional therapy. After 6 months, patients were divided into a restenosis group and a non-restenosis group. Inter-group and intra-group differences in plasma OLFM2 were compared. The correlation between plasma OLFM2 and the severity of restenosis was analyzed by Spearman's correlation analysis. An receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the predictive efficacy of plasma OLFM2 on restenosis. Logistic regression was used to determine the risk factors for restenosis. Postoperative OLFM2 in the restenosis group was significantly higher compared with the non-restenosis group (34.07 +/- 5.76 ng/mL vs. 19.53 +/- 2.99 ng/mL). No significant difference in preoperative plasma OLFM2 levels was identified between the two groups (10.92 +/- 2.49 ng/mL vs. 11.54 +/- 3.18 ng/mL). Postoperative OLFM2 levels were positively correlated with the severity of restenosis (r = 0.728, p < .001). The area under the ROC curve was 0.902 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.874-0.965), with a cutoff value of 26.91 ng/mL (95% CI: 26.16-28.32). Plasma OLFM2 was an independent risk factor for restenosis. Our results suggest that plasma OLFM2 is a potential biomarker for restenosis and may be a novel target for the treatment of restenosis.