title: High serum level of lutein may be protective against early atherosclerosis: the Beijing atherosclerosis study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We investigated whether early atherosclerosis before calcified plaque appeared as assessed by carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) was associated with levels of the major carotenoids, and assessed the associations among these serum carotenoids, carotid IMT, and arterial stiffness.
  
  
  METHODS
  The case-control study comprised 125 subjects with early atherosclerosis and 107 controls aged 45-68 years. We simultaneously measured common carotid IMT and arterial stiffness by carotid ultrasonography, and serum carotenoids were determined by high-pressure liquid chromatograph (HPLC).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In cases of early atherosclerosis, serum level of lutein was significantly lower than that in controls. Serum lutein was inversely associated with carotid IMT. Zeaxanthin and β-carotene were both negatively correlated with right common carotid artery stiffness β, elastic modulus (E(p)), and pulse wave velocity (PWV). After adjusting for age and gender, the associations remain significantly (P<0.05). However, there is no significant difference for zeaxanthin and β-carotene between the cases and controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that lutein may play a protective role in the prevention of early atherosclerosis, and the associations between serum carotenoids and arterial stiffness remained to be investigated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Road, Beijing 100191, China. harveyzou2002@bjmu.edu.com
authors.forename: Zhiyong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.forename: Xianrong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Yangmu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: Le
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Tingting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Pengcheng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Xun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xiaoming
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000097:blood; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D017536:Carotid Artery, Common / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002681:China; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D004548:Elasticity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D014975:Lutein / Q000097:blood*; D000077276:Lycopene; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D017540:Tunica Media / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014463:Ultrasonography; D015854:Up-Regulation; D024341:Xanthophylls / Q000097:blood; D065146:Zeaxanthins; D019207:beta Carotene / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D024341:Xanthophylls; D065146:Zeaxanthins; D019207:beta Carotene; D002338:Carotenoids; D000077276:Lycopene; D014975:Lutein