Investigating lipid profiles and oxidised phospholipids in samples from patients with chronic venous leg ulcers.
Cook, Jacob Spickett, Corinne Dias, Irundika HK Wall, Michael
Cook, Jacob
Spickett, Corinne
Dias, Irundika HK
Wall, Michael
Affiliation
Aston University; The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust
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Publication date
2025/06/01
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Abstract
Venous leg ulcers (VLU) are a growing problem to both patients, who experience poor outcomes and quality of life, and healthcare systems, which are becoming increasingly overwhelmed with economic burden. The key pathophysiological role of inflammation in preventing healing is well understood through analysis of cytokines and MMPs, but a systematic review of the literature has shown that oxidative stress and biological effects of lipids have been considered in less detail. As inflammation can lead to oxidative stress, the aim of this study is to investigate levels of oxidised phospholipids (OxPL) and changes in lipid profiles in various sample types of chronic VLU. Biopsies from the centre and edge of the ulcer, plasma from the arm (systemic) and leg (local), and exudate samples, gathered using either filter paper or needle aspiration, were collected from patients with healing and non-healing chronic VLU. Using both untargeted and targeted LC-MS/MS techniques, the lipidome and OxPLs of each sample were analysed, respectively. IL-1beta concentrations were also analysed by ELISA. Collecting exudate using filter paper was easier and more consistent than aspiration, due to some ulcers being inherently drier. OxPLs (PGPC, POVPC, PONPC, SGPC, SOVPC and SONPC) were successfully measured in all sample types. Significantly higher levels of IL-1beta and OxPLs (all but SOVPC) were identified in some patients' biopsies from the centre of the ulcer, compared to the edge. Significant increases in plasma from the leg compared to the arm were only noticed for SOVPC in some patients. Overall, this early data demonstrates the feasibility to collect biopsies, exudate using filter paper, and plasma, and use these samples to identify lipid profiles and, more specifically, OxPLs using LC-MSMS. This data also suggests the implications of oxidative stress in VLU chronicity, and that this may further feed into the inflammatory cycle.Copyright � 2025
Citation
Jacob Cook, Corinne Spickett, Irundika H.K. Dias, Michael Wall, Investigating lipid profiles and oxidised phospholipids in samples from patients with chronic venous leg ulcers, Free Radical Biology and Medicine,
Volume 233, Supplement 1, 2025, Page S48, ISSN 0891-5849, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2025.05.169.
(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0891584925004447)