Investigating the relationship between aortic aneurysms and air pollution using excess aortic samples from surgery and organ donors

Plain English Summary

Background and study aims
An aneurysm occurs when the wall of a blood vessel weakens and balloons out. This can occur in many of the arteries of the body including the aorta. The ballooning of the aorta makes the wall much weaker and more likely to rupture, this most commonly occurs in the section of the aorta that passes through the abdomen. These are known as abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA). Ruptures are catastrophic events where 4 out of 5 people with a rupture will die. There is currently no treatment for AAAs that can prevent them from developing or expanding in size, they can however be offered major surgery when the aneurysm reaches a certain size. The exact cause for AAAs and factors that lead to the expansion and rupture of AAAs are not known, although several risk factors are known. Air pollution is implicated in the development and severity of numerous diseases, including cardiovascular diseases (CVD), which account for more than half of the deaths attributed to air pollution. The main aim of this study is to understand the relationship between air pollution and aortic aneurysms. The study will involve the collection of samples of the aortic wall. During open surgical repair of the aorta, the aneurysm is cut open and the wall of the aneurysm is usually trimmed off and closed over a fabric graft. When a kidney transplant occurs the donated kidney normally contains a section of the aorta that the surgeon can use to fashion a new joint. Often excess ‘healthy’ aorta is trimmed off here as well and discarded. The researchers hope to keep these two excess sections of the aorta that are normally disposed of and compare them in the lab, looking for evidence of air pollutants.

Who can participate?
Patients undergoing a surgical repair of their aorta

What does the study involve?
This study will not change the medical care that participants would normally receive. Participants will come to the hospital for their routine appointments and undergo surgical repair of their aortic aneurysm just as planned by their doctors. The researchers would like to keep a sample of the aneurysm wall that is normally trimmed off during surgery and a sample of blood taken before surgery alongside routine blood tests (an additional two small tubes). These samples (aortic tissue and blood) will be kept and stored and used to research aortic aneurysms, in this case to look for the presence of air pollutants. The researchers would also like participants to answer a short questionnaire on environmental and occupational exposures that should only take 10 or 15 minutes to complete. This will include questions about employment and cities lived near, to understand their true lifetime exposure to air pollutants.

What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
If the study is successful, it will hopefully increase knowledge of the effect of air pollution on health and aortic aneurysms. Taking part in the study will be of no direct benefit to the participant.

Where is the study run from?
University of Leicester (UK)

When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
September 2022 to July 2028

Who is funding the study?
University of Leicester (UK)

Who is the main contact?
Liam Musto, lm503@leicester.ac.uk

Contact information

Study information

Eligibility

Locations

Countries of recruitment

• England
• United Kingdom

Study participating centre

Sponsor information

University of Leicester
University/education

Research & Enterprise Division
Research Ethics, Governance & Integrity Office
Leicester General Hospital
Gwendolen Road
Leicester
LE5 4PW
England
United Kingdom

Phone	+44 (0)116 258 4867
Email	rgosponsor@le.ac.uk
Website	http://www.le.ac.uk/
"ROR"	https://ror.org/04h699437

Funders

Funder type

University/education

Results and Publications

Study outputs

Editorial Notes

20/09/2023: A link to the HRA research summary was added.
04/05/2023: The recruitment start date was changed from 01/05/2023 to 01/07/2023.
03/05/2023: The overall end date was changed from 01/05/2028 to 01/07/2028.
04/04/2023: Contact details updated.
03/04/2023: Internal review.
29/03/2023: Trial's existence confirmed by the East Midlands - Leicester Central Research Ethics Committee.