Coronary artery disease but not coronary calcification is associated with elevated levels of cardiolipin, beta-2-glycoprotein-I, and oxidized LDL antibodies.
BACKGROUND
Autoimmune factors have been shown to play a role in atherosclerosis. The aim of this study is to correlate 5 autoantibodies (anticardiolipin, anti-CL, beta2-glycoprotein-I, beta2GPI, phosphatidylcholine, oxidized low-density lipoprotein, oxLDL, endothelial cell) with the presence of coronary heart disease, angiographic findings, and with coronary artery calcification.


METHODS
The levels of the 5 autoantibodies and a control antifibroblast line of 126 coronary heart disease patients and 20 healthy controls were measured. Fifty-one patients underwent coronary angiography, and 98 patients had coronary artery calcium determination using spiral computerized tomography (dual mode).


RESULTS
Levels of 3 autoantibodies (anti-CL, beta2GPI, oxLDL) were significantly elevated in coronary heart disease patients compared with controls (p < 0.001, p = 0.001, p < 0.001, respectively). Within the subgroup of patients with significant coronary artery stenosis, anti-CL antibodies were also elevated (p = 0.008). No correlation was found between anti-CL, and anti-beta2GPI autoantibody levels and coronary calcium scores as measured by spiral computerized tomography. However, anti-oxLDL antibodies were raised in patients with no calcification detected by spiral computerized tomography, compared with the patients with any coronary calcification (p = 0.046).


CONCLUSIONS
Anti-CL, beta2GPI and oxLDL antibodies are elevated in coronary heart disease patients regardless of coronary calcification.
Sherer
Y
Y
Department of Medicine 'B' and Center of Autoimmune Diseases, Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel.
Tenenbaum
A
A
Praprotnik
S
S
Shemesh
J
J
Blank
M
M
Fisman
E Z
EZ
Harats
D
D
George
J
J
Levy
Y
Y
Peter
J B
JB
Motro
M
M
Shoenfeld
Y
Y
D000368:Aged; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000150:complications; D002308:Cardiolipins / Q000276:immunology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000276:immunology*; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D053482:beta 2-Glycoprotein I
D001323:Autoantibodies; D015415:Biomarkers; D002308:Cardiolipins; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D006023:Glycoproteins; D053482:beta 2-Glycoprotein I