A cross-sectional study of endogenous tissue plasminogen activator, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and apolipoproteins A-I, A-II, and B-100.
Elevated levels of endogenous tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) appear to be a marker for preclinical atherosclerosis. At present, however, data describing potential relations between plasma t-PA level and established lipid risk factors for coronary atherosclerosis are sparse. To explore these potential relations, we measured plasma levels of t-PA antigen (t-PA:ag) in 633 apparently healthy men in the Physicians' Health Study as well as total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, HDL2 cholesterol, HDL3 cholesterol, and apolipoproteins A-I, A-II, and B-100. Overall, plasma t-PA:ag levels were inversely correlated with HDL cholesterol (r = -.1616, P < .0005), HDL2 cholesterol (r = -.1632, P < .0005), and HDL3 cholesterol (r = -.0927, P = .019). In stratified analyses, the inverse association between t-PA:ag and HDL cholesterol was present among frequent (P trend = .002) and infrequent (P trend = .004) consumers of alcohol as well as among the subgroups of frequent exercisers (P trend < .001), men in the lower half of body mass index (P trend = .001), and nonsmokers (P trend < .001). In contrast, there was no association between t-PA:ag and total cholesterol (r = .0219, P = .58), whereas relations of t-PA:ag with apolipoproteins A-I, A-II, and B-100 were minimal and of borderline significance. These data indicate that plasma levels of endogenous t-PA:ag are inversely related to HDL cholesterol as well as HDL2 and HDL3 cholesterol.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Ridker
P M
PM
Divisions of Preventive Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215-1204.
Vaughan
D E
DE
Stampfer
M J
MJ
Sacks
F M
FM
Hennekens
C H
CH
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D016632:Apolipoprotein A-I / Q000378:metabolism; D016633:Apolipoprotein A-II / Q000378:metabolism; D053299:Apolipoprotein B-100; D001053:Apolipoproteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D001055:Apolipoproteins B / Q000378:metabolism; D001241:Aspirin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood*; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D015444:Exercise; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012907:Smoking; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator / Q000097:blood*; D019207:beta Carotene
D016632:Apolipoprotein A-I; D016633:Apolipoprotein A-II; D053299:Apolipoprotein B-100; D001053:Apolipoproteins; D001055:Apolipoproteins B; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D019207:beta Carotene; D002338:Carotenoids; D002784:Cholesterol; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator; D001241:Aspirin