title: Early vascular damage in primary hypoalphalipoproteinemia.
abstract: The relationship between hypoalphalipoproteinemia (hypoalpha), a metabolic disorder characterized by reduced high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels, and atherosclerotic disease is not completely understood. We investigated arterial functional and structural changes in 19 subjects with hypoalpha (HDL cholesterol < or = 0.7 mmol/L for men and < or = 0.8 mmol/L for women; 13 men; 47 +/- 7 years) and in 21 healthy control subjects (11 men; 46 +/- 13 years). Brachial-artery flow-mediated vasodilation (FMV) and intima-media thickness (IMT) of the carotid and femoral arteries were determined in all subjects. FMV was significantly lower in hypoalpha than in controls (5.6% +/- 4.3% v 8.2% +/- 2.7%; P <.05). IMT was greater in hypoalpha than in controls at both the internal carotid (0.83 +/- 0.1 mm v 0.69 +/- 0.1 mm) and superficial femoral level (0.83 +/- 0.2 mm v 0.68 +/- 0.1 mm; both P <.05). FMV had a positive correlation with HDL cholesterol (r =.42, P =.06) and a negative one with triglycerides (r = -0.38, P =.01). An inverse relationship was found between HDL cholesterol and internal carotid and superficial femoral IMT (r = -0.64 and r = -0.60, respectively; P <.01 for both) and a positive one between triglycerides and internal carotid and superficial femoral IMT (r =.53 and r =.47, P <.05). In a multivariate regression analysis, brachial FMV was predicted by HDL cholesterol and brachial diameter (beta =.42 and -0.43, respectively; both P <.05). HDL cholesterol was the only significant predictor of internal carotid and superficial femoral IMT (beta = -0.45 and -0.49, respectively; both P <.05). In conclusion, subjects with primary hypoalpha, without overt cardiovascular disease, are characterized by an impaired endothelial function and by an increase in large-artery IMT.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Angiology, and Atherosclerosis, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy.
authors.forename: Gaetano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vaudo
authors.forename: Simona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Marchesi
authors.forename: Graziana
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lupattelli
authors.forename: Matteo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pirro
authors.forename: Leonella
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pasqualini
authors.forename: Anna Rita
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Roscini
authors.forename: Donatella
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Siepi
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schillaci
authors.forename: Elmo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mannarino
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001916:Brachial Artery / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000473:pathology; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008075:Lipoproteins, HDL / Q000097:blood; D053439:Lipoproteins, HDL2; D053440:Lipoproteins, HDL3; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013631:Tangier Disease / Q000150:complications*; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000473:pathology; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D014664:Vasodilation
chemical_list: D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008075:Lipoproteins, HDL; D053439:Lipoproteins, HDL2; D053440:Lipoproteins, HDL3; D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol