PTX3 and cardiovascular disorder: Although Yamashina et al. have reported a brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (ba PWV) cutoff value of 14.0 m/s for screening subjects at risk of developing cardiovascular diseases in the general population [30], plasma PTX3 levels are not different between patients with ba PWV values of more or less than 14.0 m/s, or an intimal thickness of the carotid artery of more or less than 1.0 mm, which means within normal limits [17].