Fatty Acid Binding Protein 4
FABP4proteinAdipocyte fatty acid-binding protein 4 reflects lipid trafficking and plaque instability, predicting atherosclerotic progression and adverse events.
Pathway placement
Cascade stepLipid retention & oxidation
Confidencehigh
RationaleAdipocyte FABP4 reflects lipid metabolism dysregulation and atherosclerotic plaque instability.
Also acts inVascular inflammation
Druggability
DruggableYes
Known drugs / candidates0
Small-molecule tractableYes
Antibody tractableNo
EnsemblENSG00000170323
Type I vs non-Type I discrimination
ScoresLow-confidence (proxy)
R — rupture / Type-I33
C — non-Type-I63
A — assay feasibility68
E — evidence strength25
T1DI (composite)6
Specificity differential (R−C)-29.3
Non-Type-I axis panel
Does this marker also move in each non-Type-I setting? mag 0–3; higher means less Type-I-specific. n/a = no evidence retrieved, which is not the same as no change.
No non-Type-I axis evidence retrieved.
Tier: light (literature co-occurrence proxy — lower confidence). See the discrimination table for all markers.
Assay & specimen
Class-level default (no specific cleared assay)— generic method inferred from analyte class; confirm against a specific product insert before use.
Specimen
Serum or plasma
Collection tube
Serum separator (gold/red-top, SST) · K2/K3-EDTA (lavender-top)
Method / principle
Sandwich immunoassay (ELISA) — research-grade unless a cleared assay exists
Reagent / substrate
Matched anti-target antibody pair (capture + labeled detection)
Platform
ELISA microplate or multiplex (Luminex/MSD)
Turnaround · availability
Send-out / research · Research-grade (no universal clinical assay)
Literature evidence(4)
- Multi-omics data integration from patients with carotid stenosis illuminates key molecular signatures of atherosclerotic instability.Genome medicine · 2026 · PMID 41652626 · doi
- Use of proteomics to identify biomarkers associated with chronic kidney disease and long-term outcomes in patients with myocardial infarction.Journal of internal medicine · 2020 · PMID 32638487 · doi
- FABP4 and Cardiovascular Events in Peripheral Arterial Disease.Angiology · 2017 · PMID 28847153 · doi
- Circulating FABP4 is a prognostic biomarker in patients with acute coronary syndrome but not in asymptomatic individuals.Arteriosclerosis, thrombosis, and vascular biology · 2015 · PMID 26069234 · doi