Femoral plaques confound the association of circulating oxidized low-density lipoprotein with carotid atherosclerosis in a general population aged 35 to 55 years: the Asklepios Study.
OBJECTIVE
Reported associations of oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) with noninvasive measures of atherosclerosis are inconsistent. In the Asklepios Study cohort of asymptomatic subjects aged 35 to 55 years, we evaluated the relationship of circulating oxLDL with subclinical atherosclerosis in the carotid and femoral arteries.


RESULTS
Participants (n=2524, 51.5% females) completed a study questionnaire and underwent a clinical examination, blood analysis of oxLDL (mAb-4E6) and other risk markers, and ultrasound examination of intima-media thickness (IMT) and plaques in the left and right carotid and femoral arteries. oxLDL concentrations were highest in subjects with femoral plaques (n=658). In the group of subjects with carotid plaques (n=476), elevated oxLDL concentrations are related to concomitant femoral plaques detected in 54% of these subjects. Multivariate regression analyses (including anthropometric, hemodynamic, biochemical, and lifestyle variables) showed that femoral plaques are independently related to oxLDL whereas femoral IMT, carotid IMT, or carotid plaques were not independently associated with oxLDL.


CONCLUSIONS
Circulating oxLDL is independently associated with femoral plaque and not with carotid artery wall damage.
Department of Clinical Chemistry, AZ St-Jan Hospital, Ruddershove 10, B-8000, Bruges, Belgium. michel.langlois@azbrugge.be
Michel R
MR
Langlois
Ernst R
ER
Rietzschel
Marc L
ML
De Buyzere
Dirk
D
De Bacquer
Sofie
S
Bekaert
Victor
V
Blaton
Guy G
GG
De Backer
Thierry C
TC
Gillebert
D000328:Adult; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000473:pathology*; D014463:Ultrasonography
D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL; C099252:oxidized low density lipoprotein