title: Lipoprotein(a) concentration does not differ between sexes in healthy offspring of patients with premature myocardial infarction.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Although a family history of coronary artery disease (CAD) is an established factor influencing lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] levels, the effect of sex on Lp(a) concentration remains unclear. A potential cause of the conflicting findings regarding the effect of sex on this novel CAD risk factor is the limited ability of the studies, to date, to adequately control for the potential confounding effect of CAD familial predisposition. Our purpose was to evaluate the influence of sex on Lp(a) concentration in healthy young individuals by controlling for family history of CAD. In order to achieve our goal, we compared Lp(a) levels in pairs of brothers and sisters with a positive parental history of premature myocardial infarction (PHPMI).
  
  
  METHODS
  We measured Lp(a) concentration in 77 healthy brother-sister pairs with PHPMI (mean age: brothers: 18.4 ± 6.2 years and sisters: 18.1 ± 5.8 years). Total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol, triglycerides, apolipoprotein (Apo) A-I and B were also measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Lp(a) levels did not differ between siblings of different sex (male vs. female sex: 0.994 ± 1.29 vs. 0.860 ± 0.82 μmol/l, P = 0.940); moreover, the prevalence of elevated (>1.071 μmol/l) Lp(a) concentrations between sexes was the same (29.9%). As expected, compared to female sex, male sex showed higher total/HDL-cholesterol ratio (3.642 ± 0.99 vs. 3.329 ± 0.89, P = 0.017) and lower HDL-cholesterol (1.221 ± 0.24 vs. 1.343 ± 0.28 mmol/l, P = 0.001), Apo A-I (1.390 ± 0.20 vs. 1.474 ± 0.23 g/l, P = 0.003) concentrations and Apo A-I/Apo B ratio (1.632 ± 0.49 vs. 1.830 ± 0.66, P = 0.016).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results show that healthy young men with PHPMI have a similar Lp(a) levels but worse lipid profile than women.
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Unit, Antonio Cardarelli Hospital, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Barra
authors.forename: Vittoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Cuomo
authors.forename: Nunzia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Silvestri
authors.forename: Crescenzo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Materazzi
authors.forename: Giancarlo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vitagliano
authors.forename: Giovanbattista
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Capozzi
authors.forename: Silvio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Caruso
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gaeta
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Trevisan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D016632:Apolipoprotein A-I / Q000097:blood; D001055:Apolipoproteins B / Q000097:blood; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D017270:Lipoprotein(a) / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics; D010375:Pedigree; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D015854:Up-Regulation; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: C505693:APOA1 protein, human; D016632:Apolipoprotein A-I; D001055:Apolipoproteins B; D015415:Biomarkers; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D017270:Lipoprotein(a); D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol