title: Risk of gallstone disease is associated with serum level of alpha-1-acid glycoprotein.
abstract: We explored the association between serum level of alpha-1-acid glycoprotein (AGP, an acute phase protein) and the risk of gallstones. AGP was determined in stored serum samples from a case-control study (cases: 113 patients who underwent cholecystectomy for gallstone disease; controls: 184 surgery patients screened by ultrasound, showing no gallstones). Serum AGP correlated negatively with HDL-cholesterol and positively with triglycerides. Presence of gallstones was positively associated with serum AGP, more strongly so for cholesterol gallstones than for pigment gallstones, but not differently between solitary and multiple cholesterol stones. Asymptomatic gallstones (13 surgery patients with gallstones found by screening) were also associated with serum AGP levels. A causal role of elevation of serum AGP (or underlying immune activation) in gallstone formation is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Nutrition Toxicology and Environment Research Institute Maastricht, Maastricht University, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: C T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Thijs
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Groen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hovens
authors.forename: K S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Mok
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002769:Cholelithiasis / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D009961:Orosomucoid / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D009961:Orosomucoid; D002784:Cholesterol