title: Higher lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 levels are associated with coronary atherosclerosis documented by coronary angiography.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) has been proposed as an inflammatory marker of cardiovascular disease. The present study investigates associations between Lp-PLA2 and other important biomarkers in Japanese patients with coronary artery disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  We measured Lp-PLA2 levels in 141 consecutive patients (age 62.6 ± 3.8 years; men 69.2%) with angiographic evidence of coronary artery disease (acute coronary syndrome [ACS]; n = 38), stable angina pectoris (SAP; n = 72) or with angiographically normal coronary arteries (NCA; n = 31).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Levels of Lp-PLA2 significantly correlated with low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (r = 0.302), homocysteine (r = 0.528) and paraoxonase (r = 0.401) in all patients (all P < 0.01). Levels of Lp-PLA2 were significantly higher in patients with coronary atherosclerosis (ACS and SAP) than with NCA (P < 0.05). Levels of highly sensitive C-reactive protein were significantly higher in patients with ACS than with SAP and NCA (both P < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that higher Lp-PLA2 levels were independently associated with coronary atherosclerosis (odds ratio: 1.058; 95% confidence interval: 1.012-1.121; P = 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Higher Lp-PLA2 levels are associated with coronary atherosclerosis independently of traditional coronary risk factors. Thus, Lp-PLA2 is a novel biomarker of coronary atherosclerosis in Japanese patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Juntendo University School of Medicine, 2-1-1 Hongo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan. tdohi@juntendo.ac.jp
authors.forename: Tomotaka
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dohi
authors.forename: Katsumi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Miyauchi
authors.forename: Ryunosuke
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ohkawa
authors.forename: Kazuhiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Shuta
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Thuboi
authors.forename: Manabu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ogita
authors.forename: Tadashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Miyazaki
authors.forename: Akihisa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nishino
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yokoyama
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kurata
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yatomi
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Daida
mesh_terms: D043203:1-Alkyl-2-acetylglycerophosphocholine Esterase / Q000097:blood*; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D043203:1-Alkyl-2-acetylglycerophosphocholine Esterase