Serum ferritin concentration is associated with plasma levels of cholesterol oxidation products in man.
Cholesterol oxidation products, oxysterols, are thought to play a part in the initiation and development of human atherosclerotic lesions. Excessive body iron has been suggested to promote atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease through its pro-oxidative properties. In the present study, the associations between serum ferritin and plasma oxysterol concentrations were examined in 669 eastern Finnish men. Serum ferritin concentration had statistically significant (p <.05) direct correlations with most of the measured oxysterols. In multivariate adjusted regression models, serum ferritin concentration predicted significantly the levels of 27-hydroxycholesterol (beta = 0.13, p <.001), 7alpha-hydroxycholesterol (beta = 0.11, p =.005), 25-hydroxycholesterol (beta = 0.10, p =.007), 7-ketocholesterol (beta = 0.10, p =.009), and 7beta-hydroxycholesterol (beta = 0.10, p =.02). In conclusion, excess body iron, as assessed by serum ferritin, is associated with increased levels of circulating oxysterols, both of enzymatic and nonenzymatic origin, in man.
Tuomainen
Tomi-Pekka
TP
Research Institute of Public Health, University of Kuopio, Kuopio, Finland.
Diczfalusy
Ulf
U
Kaikkonen
Jari
J
Nyyssönen
Kristiina
K
Salonen
Jukka T
JT
D000328:Adult; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000097:blood; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D006888:Hydroxycholesterols / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction
D005227:Fatty Acids; D006888:Hydroxycholesterols; C076996:27-hydroxycholesterol; C007997:25-hydroxycholesterol; D005293:Ferritins; D002784:Cholesterol