Serum levels of mannose-binding lectin and the risk of future coronary artery disease in apparently healthy men and women.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the association between serum levels of mannose-binding lectin (MBL) and the risk of future coronary artery disease (CAD) in apparently healthy men and women.


RESULTS
We performed a prospective case-control study among apparently healthy men and women nested in the EPIC-Norfolk cohort. Baseline concentrations of MBL were measured in serum samples of 946 patients who experienced a myocardial infarction or died of CAD during follow-up, and 1799 matched controls who remained free of CAD. Among men, median MBL levels were 1.63 ng/mL (interquartile range [IQR]: 0.59 to 3.80) in cases and 1.20 ng/mL (IQR: 0.48 to 3.37) in controls. Among women, median MBL levels were 1.02 ng/mL (IQR: 0.43 to 2.95) in cases and 1.01 ng/mL (IQR: 0.43 to 2.94) in controls. After adjustment, the odds ratio in men for future CAD was 1.59 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.09 to 2.32; P for linearity=0.01) for those in the highest quartile compared with those in the lowest quartile. In women no such relation was observed.


CONCLUSIONS
Elevated levels of MBL are associated with an increased risk of future CAD in apparently healthy men but not in women. The sex difference merits further exploration.
Keller
Tymen T
TT
Academic Medical Center of Amsterdam, Department of Vascular Medicine (Room F4-121), Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands. t.t.keller@amc.uva.nl
van Leuven
Sander I
SI
Meuwese
Marijn C
MC
Wareham
Nicholas J
NJ
Luben
Robert
R
Stroes
Erik S
ES
Hack
C Erik
CE
Levi
Marcel
M
Khaw
Kay-Tee
KT
Boekholdt
S Matthijs
SM
D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D037601:Mannose-Binding Lectin / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012727:Sex Characteristics
D037601:Mannose-Binding Lectin