Sialic Acids as Biomarkers for Cardiovascular Disease

PS2 Poster session 2 Even numbers
Location (hall): 
Start/end time: 

Jack Cheeseman1, Conchi Badia2, Richard Gardner2, Daniel Spencer2, Gunter Kuhnle3, Helen Osborn1

1University of Reading, School of Pharmacy, Reading, United Kingdom, 2Ludger Ltd., Culham, United Kingdom, 3University of Reading, School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, Reading, United Kingdom

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death for men and women worldwide, causing 3.9 million (45% of all deaths) each year in Europe alone [1]. CVD encompasses a wide array of diseases such as heart attack, stroke and coronary artery disease. Assessing CVD risk can be complex, due to the multitude of factors to consider. Taken together, these factors form risk assessments such as QRISK, giving a percentage chance of mortality in a given time frame [2]. While QRISK gives good insight into broad CVD risk factors, it may not be entirely accurate [3]. Therefore, biomarkers that could be used to improve the prediction of CVD mortality are of interest. These would not replace assessments such as QRISK but rather be used in conjunction for more accurate risk management. Sialic acid (Neu5Ac) has previously been identified as a biomarker for CVD [4]. Neu5Ac content can be affected by several other factors separate from CVD, as such five di-O-acetylated derivatives of Neu5Ac have been identified in plasma as potentially superior biomarkers, unaffected by external factors. Two of the five

derivatives have been successfully chemically synthesized. These compounds can now be taken forward as quantitative standards for the analysis of sialic acid in plasma and urine of volunteers. Work has been carried out at Ludger Ltd. to establish SOPs for this quantitative analysis using a liquid handling robot and UHPLC techniques.

  1. The European Heart Network,, (accessed March 2019)
  2. J. Hippisley-Cox, C. Coupland, Y. Vinogradova, M. May, P. Brindle, BMJ, 2007, 335, 136
  3. G. S. Collins, D. G. Altman, BMJ, 2010, 340, 2442
  4. G. Lindberg, G. A. Eklund, B. Gullberg and L. Rastam, BMJ, 1991, 302, 143-146