Plasmalogens in human serum positively correlate with high- density lipoprotein and decrease with aging.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of the present study was to propose plasmalogens as a beneficial factor in human plasma by showing a highly positive correlation with high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and a significant reduction with aging.


METHODS
For 148 elderly subjects suspected of coronary artery disease (CAD), clinical characteristics such as coronary stenosis, hyperlipidemia, abnormal glucose tolerance, and hypertension were investigated, and serum biochemical markers including plasmalogens were determined.


RESULTS
Serum plasmalogens levels tended to fall in significant coronary stenosis and abnormal glucose tolerance. Correlative analyses among serum biochemical markers revealed that plasmalogens positively correlate with HDL-related values, particularly apolipoprotein A-I (apo A-I), and that the molar ratio of choline plasmalogen (ChoPlas) to ethanolamine plasmalogen (EtnPlas) correlates positively with low-density lipoprotein (LDL) particle size, and negatively with apo A-II and fasting triglyceride (TG) levels. Comparison of plasmalogens in elderly subjects with those of 119 healthy young subjects showed a marked decrease in serum plasmalogens levels by aging.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that serum plasmalogens, antioxidant phospholipids, function as a beneficial factor as well as HDL, and that the measurement of serum plasmalogens is useful in clinical diagnosis.
Maeba
Ryouta
R
Department of Biochemistry, Teikyo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan. maeba@med.teikyo-u.ac.jp
Maeda
Tomomi
T
Kinoshita
Makoto
M
Takao
Kosuke
K
Takenaka
Hideki
H
Kusano
Jyun
J
Yoshimura
Nakayuki
N
Takeoka
Yoko
Y
Yasuda
Daijiro
D
Okazaki
Tomoki
T
Teramoto
Tamio
T
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000097:blood*; D016632:Apolipoprotein A-I / Q000097:blood; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008075:Lipoproteins, HDL / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010955:Plasmalogens / Q000097:blood*
D016632:Apolipoprotein A-I; D015415:Biomarkers; D008075:Lipoproteins, HDL; D010955:Plasmalogens; C032459:choline plasmalogens; C020791:phosphatidal ethanolamines