Granzyme A
GZMAgeneSerine protease from activated lymphocytes contributing to plaque inflammation and fibrous-cap degradation.
Pathway placement
Cascade stepPlaque inflammation
Confidencemedium
RationaleCytotoxic protease in inflammatory plaque; links immune activation to plaque destabilization.
Also acts inCap degradation / rupture
Druggability
DruggableYes
Known drugs / candidates0
Small-molecule tractableYes
Antibody tractableYes
EnsemblENSG00000145649
Type I vs Type II discrimination
ScoresLow-confidence (proxy)
R — rupture / Type-I20
C — confounder / Type-II55
A — assay feasibility52
E — evidence strength20
T1DI (composite)3
Specificity differential (R−C)-34.7
Confounder panel (Type-II drivers)
No confounder 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
Whole blood — gene is not a circulating analyte; measure protein product or genotype
Collection tube
K2-EDTA whole blood (lavender-top)
Method / principle
SNP genotyping / sequencing; or immunoassay of encoded protein
Reagent / substrate
Allele-specific primers/probes (TaqMan) or NGS panel; or antibody for protein
Platform
qPCR / NGS / array
Turnaround · availability
Send-out · Genotyping widely available; protein assay variable
Literature evidence(2)
- Exploring the pathways linking fasting insulin to coronary artery disease: a proteome-wide Mendelian randomization study.BMC medicine · 2025 · PMID 40442727 · doi
- Identification of potential therapeutic targets for plaque vulnerability based on an integrated analysis.Nutrition, metabolism, and cardiovascular diseases : NMCD · 2024 · PMID 38749785 · doi