**5. Conclusion**

This study confirmed the role of hypertriglyceridemia and CRP as risk factors in the develop‐ ment of peripheral arterial disease. Lower concentrations of HDL cholesterol in patients could indicate its reduced protective role in preventing the atherogenic process. PAF-AH can not be considered a reliable diagnostic indicator of peripheral arterial disease since the changes in enzyme activity may reflect the altered lipid parameters. Correlation between the CRP concentrations and the concentrations of VEGF, Ang-2 and its receptor Tie-2 appears to suggest an association between inflammation and angiogenesis in the development of peripheral arterial disease. An increased concentration of Ang-2 and Tie-2 receptor could indicate increased vascular remodeling in response to the presence of risk factors and could be considered new biomarkers of angiogenesis which indicate the presence of peripheral arterial disease. The absence of significant correlation between the concentrations of the biochemical parameters investigated and the angiographic score suggests that other factors play a more important role in the progression of the disease. Further research is needed on larger groups of subjects to confirm the value of PAF-AH, VEGF, Ang-2 and Tie-2 receptor, as new diagnostic indicators of atherosclerosis of peripheral arteries.
