[Elevation of lipoprotein(a) levels in patients following transplantation for ischemic cardiopathy].
OBJECTIVE
Increased levels of serum lipoprotein (a) in heart transplant patients has been recently shown to be related to early recurrence of coronary artery disease. In order to evaluate the effect of the ischaemic origin of the heart disease we compared lipoprotein (a) levels observed in heart transplant patients who underwent transplantation due to ischaemic heart disease and non-obstructive cardiomyopathy with those in healthy control subjects.


METHODS
Serum levels lipoprotein (a) were measured in 62 cardiac transplantation recipients who had a hyperlipidemia. The results were compared with those of 212 control subjects matched for age and who were referred for hyperlipidemia.


RESULTS
In the whole population 40 patients had been operated on for coronary heart disease and 22 for idiopathic cardiomyopathy. The two populations did not differ with regard to their cardiovascular risk factors except for the smoking status. The mean Lp(a) values were significantly higher in the subjects with coronary heart disease as compared with those with idiopathic cardiomyopathy (0.33 +/- 0.24 and 0.21 +/- 0.17 mg/dl respectively; p < 0.05). The latter were not different from the control group (0.22 +/- 0.19 mg/ml). We did not find any difference between the two populations concerning the drugs taken by the patients (especially cyclosporine), LDL-cholesterol, creatinine, fasting blood glucose and TSH.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data confirm the relation between coronary atherosclerosis and high lipoprotein (a) levels.
Baudin
E
E
Service d'Endocrinologie et Métabolisme, Groupe Hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris.
Bruckert
E
E
Turpin
G
G
de Gennes
J L
JL
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017270:Lipoprotein(a) / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery; D012016:Reference Values
D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D017270:Lipoprotein(a)
Augmentation des concentrations de lipoprotéine (a) chez les malades greffés pour cardiopathie ischémique.