title: Serum retinol levels throughout 2 years of cholesterol-lowering therapy.
abstract: Some studies have reported an inverse correlation between serum cholesterol level and risk of cancer. This correlation might be due to a decrease in serum retinol, a lipid-soluble vitamin that controls cell proliferation and differentiation. We evaluated the influence of cholesterol-lowering therapy on serum retinol in 102 subjects (mean +/- SE: aged 47.1 +/- 4.1 years; body mass index, 23.8 +/- 0.6 kg/m2) with primary hypercholesterolemia treated for 2 years with different therapeutic protocols. Twenty-two subjects had been treated with diet alone, 35 with diet and fibrates, 37 with diet and hepatic hydroxymethyl glutaryl coenzyme A (HMG CoA) reductase inhibitors (statins), and eight with diet and cholestyramine. Postabsorptive serum retinol, total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and triglyceride levels were determined at baseline and every 3 months. Baseline TC and LDL-C were significantly lower in the diet-treated group than in other groups. No intergroup differences were found in pretreatment levels of triglycerides and serum retinol. After 2 years of treatment, TC and LDL-C serum levels were not significantly decreased in the diet-alone group, whereas they were decreased by 20% and 24%, respectively, in the gemfibrozil group, 28% and 34% in the statins group; and 21% and 27% in the cholestyramine group. In the entire population (N = 102), serum retinol was 3.46 +/- 0.08 mumol/L before therapy and 3.76 +/- 0.07 after 2 years of therapy (P < .001). Serum retinol increased in diet- and statin-treated groups, but not in fibrate- and resin-treated groups.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Cattedra di Malattie del Ricambio, Istituto di Chimica Clinica, Università di Verona, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Muggeo
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Zenti
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Travia
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sartori
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Trimeloni
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Grigolini
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Graziani
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cigolini
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002792:Cholestyramine Resin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000097:blood* / Q000628:therapy*; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012177:Retinol-Binding Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D008055:Lipids; D012177:Retinol-Binding Proteins; D002792:Cholestyramine Resin; D014801:Vitamin A