Remnant lipoproteins are related to intima-media thickness of the carotid artery independently of LDL cholesterol and plasma triglycerides.
Remnants of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins (TRL) have been implicated in the early development of atherosclerosis. We tested this hypothesis by quantifying the plasma concentration of remnant-like particle cholesterol (RLP-C) in a cohort of healthy 50-year-old men in whom the common carotid artery intima-media thickness (CCA-IMT) was assessed by B-mode ultrasound as a surrogate marker for atherosclerosis. The subjects were given a fat-rich meal to study the generation of RLP-C during postprandial lipemia. Fasting plasma RLP-C and other major fasting plasma lipids and lipoproteins were determined twice, and the mean RLP-C concentration was strongly correlated with CCA-IMT (r = 0.32, P = 0.002). In addition, low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (r = 0.25, P = 0.01) and plasma triglycerides (r = 0.20, P = 0.05) were significantly related to CCA-IMT. Multivariate analyses showed a triglyceride-independent contribution of RLP-C to CCA-IMT. After fat intake, the median plasma RLP-C concentration was doubled after 3 h. The increase was strongly related to the postprandial generation of TRL apolipoprotein (apo)B-48, and large (S(f) 60;-400) TRL apoB-100. The association with CCA-IMT was somewhat stronger for the 3-h RLP-C level than for the fasting RLP-C concentration [r = 0.27, P < 0.01 (3 h) compared with r = 0.22, P < 0.05 (0 h)]. We conclude that the plasma concentration of RLP-C is related to CCA-IMT, independent of plasma triglycerides and LDL cholesterol, in a healthy middle-aged male population. - Karpe, F., S. Boquist, R. Tang, G. M. Bond, U. de Faire, and A. Hamsten. Remnant lipoproteins are related to intima-media thickness of the carotid artery independently of LDL cholesterol and plasma triglycerides. J. Lipid Res. 2001. 42: 17;-21.
Karpe
F
F
King Gustaf V Research Institute, Department of Medicine, 17176 Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. fredrik.karpe@oxlip.ox.ac.uk
Boquist
S
S
Tang
R
R
Bond
G M
GM
de Faire
U
U
Hamsten
A
A
D001053:Apolipoproteins / Q000097:blood*; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000209:etiology; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D002784:Cholesterol; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005215:Fasting; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood*; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014463:Ultrasonography
D001053:Apolipoproteins; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D008074:Lipoproteins; D014280:Triglycerides; C112017:remnant-like particle cholesterol; D002784:Cholesterol