Predicting risk in thoracic aortic aneurysm
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Can blood borne biomarkers predict location and risk of clinical events in thoracic aortic aneurysm?
IRAS ID
195797
Contact name
P Sastry
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Papworth Hospital
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Aneurysms of the arch or descending thoracic aorta do not usually give any symptoms – patients may only find out about them if they have a scan of their chest for some other reason. However these aneurysms pose a risk of dying suddenly due to aortic rupture or dissection (tearing). This risk is difficult to quantify: aneurysm diameter correlates to the risk of rupture/ dissection, but 40-80% of ruptures/ dissections occur at ‘small’ diameters. Unfortunately aneurysm repair also carries risk – as high as a 10-20% risk of death or permanent disability when repairing the arch or descending aorta (DTA). Judging when the risk of dissection/ rupture overtakes the risk of intervention is difficult in the absence of a good tool to monitor the disease –one that is simple, uses few resources, and critically: one that can tell us what the aneurysm will do, not just what it has done, or how it looks right now. If we could find a biomarker that could do this, it would not only guide timing of treatment for TAA sufferers, but also assist researchers investigating the impact of pharmaceutical intervention on aneurysm progression.
Our aim is to identify a panel of circulating biomarkers that predicts the risk of arch/DTA TAA progression. Initial analysis of blood and scan data from a pilot cohort of 36 patients has identified a shortlist of 30 biomarkers that correlate to aneurysm size. Sample size calculations suggest that these findings could be verified with good statistical sureity if we could recruit a total of 84 patients – 45 have already been recruited at Papworth and it is anticipated that another 20-30 could be recruited from Addenbrookes. If this approval is granted, we expect to recruit patients, analyse blood samples and radiological data and then have final results within the next 18 months.
REC name
London - Queen Square Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/LO/1063
Date of REC Opinion
26 Jul 2017
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion