Phospholipid transfer protein in hemodialysis patients.
BACKGROUND
Phospholipid transfer protein (PLTP) is mainly involved in high-density lipoprotein (HDL) metabolism. The role of PLTP in atherogenesis is still controversial. We aimed to investigate PLTP activity in hemodialysis (HD) patients, a population which has an increased risk for the development of atherosclerosis.


METHODS
PLTP activity and other markers were analyzed in blood samples from 68 HD patients and in a matched group of 68 healthy controls.


RESULTS
Serum PLTP activity was nearly doubled in HD patients in comparison to healthy controls (median 43.0 vs. 22.4 pmol/mul/h, p < 0.001). In HD patients, PLTP activity correlated with HDL-C (r = 0.342, p = 0.004), but not with CRP (r = -0.057, p = 0.644) or leukocyte count (r = 0.116, p = 0.345). After a follow-up of 2 years, 26 HD patients had died. Kaplan-Meier analyses showed that low CRP (p = 0.047) but neither high HDL-C (p = 0.071) nor low PLTP activity (p = 0.853) were relevantly related to survival of HD patients.


CONCLUSIONS
An elevated PLTP activity in HD patients may be considered as a further aspect of uremic dyslipidemia in HD patients. However, PLTP activity was not related to markers of inflammation or to survival of HD patients, even though it correlated with HDL-C. Thus, we conclude that PLTP does not influence the prognostically relevant inflammatory process in HD patients although it does influence the composition of HDL particles.
Schlitt
Axel
A
Department of Medicine III, Martin Luther University, Halle-Wittenberg, Germany. axel.schlitt@medizin.uni-halle.de
Heine
Gunnar H
GH
Jiang
Xian-Cheng
XC
Messow
Martina
M
Blankenberg
Stefan
S
Rupprecht
Hans J
HJ
Ulrich
Christof
C
Buerke
Michael
M
Werdan
Karl
K
Lackner
Karl J
KJ
Köhler
Hans
H
Girndt
Matthias
M
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D050171:Dyslipidemias / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D008075:Lipoproteins, HDL / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D049294:Phospholipid Transfer Proteins / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D011379:Prognosis; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000401:mortality
D015415:Biomarkers; D008075:Lipoproteins, HDL; D049294:Phospholipid Transfer Proteins