[Autoantibodies against oxidised low density lipoproteins in patients with coronary disease].
OBJECTIVE
Evidence has been obtained indicating that oxidation of low-density lipoproteins (LDL) plays a relevant role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and it has been proposed that, due to the antigenic properties of oxidized LDL, the anti-oxLDL antibody titre could represent a useful index of in vivo LDL oxidation.


METHODS
Sixty-nine control subjects and 64 patients scheduled for selective coronary revascularization were investigated before surgery.


RESULTS
The coronary disease patients had a higher level of total plasma cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, and a lower level of HDL cholesterol. Plasma anti-oxLDL antibody titre was measured as the ratio of antibody binding to CuSO4-oxidised LDL versus native LDL. The antibody ratio was higher in coronary patients as compared with control subjects (1.56 +/- 0.5 vs 1.0 +/- 0.3, p < 0.01). A ratio higher than 1.34 (mean of controls +/- one standard deviation) was present in 60% of the coronary patients. Subclass analysis indicated that the presence of diabetes mellitus and hypercholesterolaemia (but not of hypertension, generalized arteriosclerosis, myocardial infarction and cigarette smoking) increased the anti-oxLDL antibody ratio to 1.72 +/- 0.4 and 1.68 +/- 0.3 respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
The results obtained indicate that a) a high titre of anti-oxLDL antibodies is present in plasma of patients with coronary atherosclerosis, b) in these patients LDL oxidation takes place in vivo and probably plays a critical role in the development and progression of atherosclerosis.
Département de Médecine interne et Thérapie médicale, Université de Pavie, Pavia, Italy.
E
E
Maggi
G
G
Perani
F
F
Falaschi
A
A
Frattoni
A
A
Martignoni
G
G
Finardi
P L
PL
Stefano
F
F
Simeone
G
G
Paolini
E
E
DeVecchi
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D012016:Reference Values
D001323:Autoantibodies; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL
Autoanticorps contre les lipoprotéines de basse densité oxydées chez des patients coronariens.