Vascular injury 2 panel

Blood was collected from consenting participants at baseline and stored
centrally at −70 C. All assays were performed blinded to treatment group,
lung function tests, or clinical outcomes. Biomarkers were not necessarily
selected based on postulated associations with lung function, but rather were
measured following un-blinding of the START results based on postulated
associations with AIDS and non-AIDS events.[30 (link)] Rather than selectively analyzing or reporting certain
biomarkers, we elected to examine all available biomarkers. IL-6 was measured
using high sensitivity ELISA (R&D, Minneapolis, USA). D-dimer was measured
using the VIDAS system (BioMerieux, Marcy-l’Étoile, France). IL-27
was measured using IL-27 using immunoassay (Meso Scale Diagnostics, Rockville,
USA). A multiplex platform was used to measure hsCRP, SAA, sICAM, and sVCAM
(Vascular Injury II Panel, Meso Scale Diagnostics, Rockville, USA). Albumin and
total bilirubin were measured in the clinical laboratory facilities at each
site.

Cryopreserved EDTA plasma, collected at baseline and at the month 8 visit and stored centrally at −70°C, was used to measure 7 plasma biomarkers to assess systemic inflammation (IL-6, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein [hsCRP] and serum amyloid A [SAA]), vascular inflammation (soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 [sICAM] and vascular adhesion molecule-1 [sVCAM]), immune activation (interleukin-27 [IL-27]), and coagulation activation (D-dimer). IL-6 was measured using high sensitivity ELISA (R&D Systems), D-dimer using VIDAS system (BioMerieux), and IL-27 using immunoassay (MesoScale). A multiplex platform was used to measure hsCRP, SAA, sICAM and sVCAM (Vascular Injury II Panel, MesoScale)[22 (link)].