Antibodies against malondialdehyde-acetaldehyde adducts can help identify patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm

There are currently no useful screening tests for abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) other than imaging procedures. Malondialdehyde-acetaldehyde adducts are biochemically modified proteins that can elicit an immune response. This manuscript describes the ability to discriminate between patients with AAA and those with no AAA but other atherosclerosis by identifying levels of specific antibodies produced by the patient against malondialdehyde-acetaldehyde adducts. This would allow blood tests that could be used to screen patients for the presence of AAA.