Ethnic variation in C-reactive protein: UK resident Indo-Asians compared with Caucasians.
BACKGROUND
The increased prevalence of coronary heart disease (CHD) in UK resident Indo-Asians is unexplained by the traditional cardiovascular risk factors of dyslipidaemia, hypertension, smoking and diabetes mellitus. C-reactive protein (CRP) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of CHD but the data on ethnic variation in CRP is conflicting. We therefore investigated whether CRP could help explain the increased prevalence of CHD in Indo-Asians.


METHODS
We measured CRP, using a highly sensitive assay, in 102 men (63 Caucasians and 39 Indo-Asians) and 89 women (58 Caucasians and 31 Indo-Asians). All subjects, aged between 40 and 70 years, were nondiabetic and nonsmokers.


RESULTS
Serum CRP correlated (P < 0.05) positively with coronary risk. Serum HDL cholesterol concentrations were lower (P<0.05) in Indo-Asian women when compared with Caucasian women, but otherwise the ethnic groups were matched for calculated coronary risk and cardiovascular risk factors. Serum CRP concentrations were similar in Indo-Asians (women 2.29 (1.52) mg/l [mean (SD)]; men 1.77 (1.46) mg/l) and Caucasians (women 2.23 (1.54) mg/l; men 1.94 (1.45) mg/l).


CONCLUSIONS
Altered CRP concentrations does not appear to be implicated in the increased prevalence of CHD in UK resident Indo-Asians.
Department of Clinical Chemistry, New Cross Hospital, Wolverhampton, West Midlands, UK.
K
K
Chatha
N R
NR
Anderson
R
R
Gama
D001208:Asia / Q000208:ethnology; D044466:Asian People; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000208:ethnology*; D005260:Female; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000208:ethnology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D018570:Risk Assessment; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People
D015415:Biomarkers; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D002097:C-Reactive Protein