BACKGROUND: Carriers of the apolipoprotein A-I(Milano) (apoA-I(M)) mutant present with very low plasma HDL cholesterol and moderate hypertriglyceridemia, apparently not leading to premature coronary heart disease. The objective of this study was to establish whether this high-risk lipid/lipoprotein profile is associated with structural changes in the carotid arteries and heart, indicative of preclinical atherosclerosis. METHODS AND RESULTS: Twenty-one A-I(M) carriers were compared with age- and sex-matched control subjects from the same kindred and with 2 series of matched subjects with primary hypoalphalipoproteinemia (HA). Structural changes in the carotid arteries were defined as the intima-media thickness (IMT) measured by B-mode ultrasound. HA subjects, both recruited among patients attending our Lipid Clinic and blood donors, showed significant thickening of the carotids (average IMT, 0.86+/-0.25 and 0.88+/-0.29 mm, respectively) compared with control subjects (average IMT, 0.64+/-0.12 mm); the apoA-I(M) carriers instead showed normal arterial thickness (average IMT, 0.63+/-0.10 mm). Moreover, a significantly higher prevalence of atherosclerotic plaques was found in patients and blood donors with HA (both 57%) compared with apoA-I(M) carriers (33%) and control subjects (21%). Echocardiographic findings and maximal treadmill ECG did not differ significantly between apoA-I(M) carriers and control subjects, apart from a slight increase in left ventricular end-diastolic dimension in the carriers. CONCLUSIONS: Despite severe HA, carriers of the apoA-I(M) mutant do not show structural changes in the arteries and heart, in contrast to HA subjects, who are characterized by a marked increase in carotid IMT and increased prevalence of atherosclerotic plaques.
BACKGROUND: Carriers of the apolipoprotein A-I(Milano) (apoA-I(M)) mutant present with very low plasma HDL cholesterol and moderate hypertriglyceridemia, apparently not leading to premature coronary heart disease. The objective of this study was to establish whether this high-risk lipid/lipoprotein profile is associated with structural changes in the carotid arteries and heart, indicative of preclinical atherosclerosis. METHODS AND RESULTS: Twenty-one A-I(M) carriers were compared with age- and sex-matched control subjects from the same kindred and with 2 series of matched subjects with primary hypoalphalipoproteinemia (HA). Structural changes in the carotid arteries were defined as the intima-media thickness (IMT) measured by B-mode ultrasound. HA subjects, both recruited among patients attending our Lipid Clinic and blood donors, showed significant thickening of the carotids (average IMT, 0.86+/-0.25 and 0.88+/-0.29 mm, respectively) compared with control subjects (average IMT, 0.64+/-0.12 mm); the apoA-I(M) carriers instead showed normal arterial thickness (average IMT, 0.63+/-0.10 mm). Moreover, a significantly higher prevalence of atherosclerotic plaques was found in patients and blood donors with HA (both 57%) compared with apoA-I(M) carriers (33%) and control subjects (21%). Echocardiographic findings and maximal treadmill ECG did not differ significantly between apoA-I(M) carriers and control subjects, apart from a slight increase in left ventricular end-diastolic dimension in the carriers. CONCLUSIONS: Despite severe HA, carriers of the apoA-I(M) mutant do not show structural changes in the arteries and heart, in contrast to HA subjects, who are characterized by a marked increase in carotid IMT and increased prevalence of atherosclerotic plaques.
Authors: María José Medrano; Raquel Boix; Alba Palmera; Rebeca Ramis; Iñaki Galán; Gonzalo López-Abente Journal: BMC Public Health Date: 2012-03-09 Impact factor: 3.295
Authors: Mary G Sorci-Thomas; Manal Zabalawi; Manish S Bharadwaj; Ashley J Wilhelm; John S Owen; Bela F Asztalos; Shaila Bhat; Michael J Thomas Journal: Biochim Biophys Acta Date: 2011-09-14
Authors: Mark S Borja; Kit F Ng; Angela Irwin; Jaekyoung Hong; Xing Wu; Daniel Isquith; Xue-Qiao Zhao; Bryan Prazen; Virginia Gildengorin; Michael N Oda; Tomáš Vaisar Journal: J Lipid Res Date: 2015-08-07 Impact factor: 5.922