title: Flow-mediated dilation, carotid wall thickness and HDL function in subjects with hyperalphalipoproteinemia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The relationships between very high plasma HDLc and subclinical atherosclerosis are still a matter of debate.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty subjects with primary hyperalphalipoproteinemia (HAL, with HDLc in the highest 10th percentile and absence of overt secondary causes of this condition), aged 30-65 years, were compared with 20 age and sex-matched controls. Lipid determination, lipoprotein particle distribution (Lipoprint(®)), Cholesterol Efflux Capacity (CEC), plasma adhesion molecule, analyses of CETP, SRB1 and LIPG genes and of different markers of subclinical vascular disease (ankle-brachial index, ABI; carotid intima-media thickness, cIMT; brachial-artery flow mediated dilation, FMD) were performed. Fasting HDLc levels were 40 mg/dl higher in HAL subjects while LDLc concentration was comparable to control group. CETP gene analysis in HAL subjects identified one novel rare Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP, Asp131Asn), possibly damaging, while the common SNP p.Val422Ile was highly prevalent (50% vs. 27.4% in a control population). No rare mutations associated with HAL were found in SR-B1 and LIPG genes. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in HAL subjects disclosed larger and more buoyant HDL particles than in controls, while LDL profile was much more similar. ABI, cIMT and arterial plaques did not differ in cases and controls and the two groups showed comparable FMD at brachial artery examination. Similarly, ABCA1 and ABCG1 HDL-mediated CEC, the most relevant for atheroprotection, did not discriminate between the groups and only ABCG1 pathway seemed somewhat related to arterial reactivity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HDL dimension, function and genetics seem scarcely related to subclinical atherosclerosis and vascular reactivity in middle-aged HAL subjects.
authors.affiliation: Medical Department, Azienda Ospedaliera-Universitaria di Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy. Electronic address: g.vigna@ospfe.it.
authors.forename: G B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Vigna
authors.affiliation: Medical Department, Azienda Ospedaliera-Universitaria di Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Satta
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, University of Parma, Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bernini
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Sciences, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Boarini
authors.affiliation: Medical Department, Azienda Ospedaliera-Universitaria di Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bosi
authors.affiliation: Medical Department, Azienda Ospedaliera-Universitaria di Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Giusto
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena & Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pinotti
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena & Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tarugi
authors.affiliation: Medical Department, Azienda Ospedaliera-Universitaria di Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vanini
authors.affiliation: Medical Department, Azienda Ospedaliera-Universitaria di Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Volpato
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, University of Parma, Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zimetti
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Sciences, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zuliani
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, University of Parma, Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Favari
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D055109:Ankle Brachial Index; D001916:Brachial Artery / Q000378:metabolism; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D053480:Cholesterol Ester Transfer Proteins / Q000097:blood / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000235:genetics; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood*; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000097:blood; D008049:Lipase / Q000235:genetics; D008052:Lipid Metabolism, Inborn Errors / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D051122:Scavenger Receptors, Class B / Q000235:genetics; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: C506642:CETP protein, human; D053480:Cholesterol Ester Transfer Proteins; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; C573420:ICAM1 protein, human; C495124:SCARB1 protein, human; D051122:Scavenger Receptors, Class B; D014280:Triglycerides; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1; C410382:LIPG protein, human; D008049:Lipase
keywords: Cholesterol-efflux capacity; Flow-mediated dilation; HDL; Hyperalphalipoproteinemia; Lipoprotein subfractions