Plasma lecithin: cholesterol acyltransferase activity modifies the inverse relationship of C-reactive protein with HDL cholesterol in nondiabetic men.
Lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) is instrumental in high-density lipoprotein (HDL) maturation, but high LCAT levels do not predict low cardiovascular risk. LCAT may affect antioxidative or anti-inflammatory properties of HDL. We determined the relationship of plasma high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP) with LCAT activity and evaluated whether LCAT activity modifies the decreasing effect of HDL cholesterol (HDL-C) on CRP, as an estimate of its anti-inflammatory properties. Plasma HDL-C, apolipoprotein (apo) A-I and LCAT activity (exogenous substrate method) were measured in 260 nondiabetic men without cardiovascular disease. CRP was correlated inversely with HDL-C and apo A-I, and positively with LCAT activity (P<0.01 to 0.001). Multivariate regression analysis demonstrated that age- and smoking-adjusted plasma CRP levels were associated negatively with HDL-C (beta=-0.224, P<0.001) and positively with LCAT activity (beta=0.119, P=0.034), as well as with the interaction between HDL-C and LCAT activity (beta=0.123, P=0.026). There was also an interaction between apo A-I and LCAT activity on CRP (beta=0.159, P=0.005). These relationships remained similar after adjustment for apo B-containing lipoproteins. In conclusion, the inverse relationship of HDL-C with CRP is attenuated by LCAT activity at higher HDL-C levels. It is hypothesized that LCAT could mitigate HDL's anti-inflammatory or antioxidative properties at higher HDL-C concentrations.
Department of Endocrinology, University of Groningen and University Medical Center Groningen, PO Box 30001, 9700 RB Groningen, The Netherlands. r.p.f.dullaart@int.umcg.nl
R P F
RP
Dullaart
F
F
Perton
P J W H
PJ
Kappelle
R
R
de Vries
W J
WJ
Sluiter
A
A
van Tol
D000367:Age Factors; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D007862:Phosphatidylcholine-Sterol O-Acyltransferase / Q000097:blood*; D012907:Smoking
D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D007862:Phosphatidylcholine-Sterol O-Acyltransferase