title: Association of branched-chain amino acids with carotid intima-media thickness and coronary artery disease risk factors.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recent studies have determined that branched-chain (BCAAs) and aromatic (AAAs) amino acids are strongly correlated with obesity and atherogenic dyslipidemia and are strong predictors of diabetes. However, it is not clear if these amino acids are capable of identifying subjects with coronary artery disease (CAD), particularly with subclinical atherosclerosis who are at risk of developing CAD.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four hundred and seventy two Chinese subjects (272 males and 200 females, 42-97 y of age) undergoing physical exams were recruited at random for participation in the cross-sectional study. Serum BCAAs and AAAs were measured using our previously reported isotope dilution liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method. Bilateral B-mode carotid artery images for carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) were acquired at end diastole and cIMT values more than 0.9 mm were categorized as increased. Correlations of BCAAs with cIMT and other CAD risk factors were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  BCAAs and AAAs were significantly and positively associated with risk factors of CAD, e.g., cIMT, BMI, waist circumference, blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, TG, apoB, apoB/apoAI ratio, apoCII, apoCIII and hsCRP, and were significantly and negatively associated with HDL-C and apoAI. Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis revealed that age (β = 0.175, P<0.001), log BCAA (β = 0.147, P<0.001) and systolic blood pressure (β = 0.141, P = 0.012) were positively and independently associated with cIMT. In the logistic regression model, the most and only powerful laboratory factor correlated with increased cIMT was BCAA (the odds ratio of the fourth quartile compared to the first quartile was 2.679; P = 0.009).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  BCAAs are independently correlated with increased cIMT. This correlation would open a new field of research in the mechanistic understanding and risk assessment of CAD.
authors.affiliation: The Key Laboratory of Geriatrics, Beijing Hospital & Beijing Institute of Geriatrics, Ministry of Health, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Ruiyue
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: The Key Laboratory of Geriatrics, Beijing Hospital & Beijing Institute of Geriatrics, Ministry of Health, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.affiliation: Beijing Hospital and National Center for Clinical Laboratories, Ministry of Health, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Haijian
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: The Key Laboratory of Geriatrics, Beijing Hospital & Beijing Institute of Geriatrics, Ministry of Health, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Hongxia
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: The Key Laboratory of Geriatrics, Beijing Hospital & Beijing Institute of Geriatrics, Ministry of Health, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Hanbang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: The Key Laboratory of Geriatrics, Beijing Hospital & Beijing Institute of Geriatrics, Ministry of Health, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Shu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Beijing Hospital and National Center for Clinical Laboratories, Ministry of Health, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Chuanbao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: The Key Laboratory of Geriatrics, Beijing Hospital & Beijing Institute of Geriatrics, Ministry of Health, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Siming
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Beijing Hospital and National Center for Clinical Laboratories, Ministry of Health, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Mo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Beijing Hospital and National Center for Clinical Laboratories, Ministry of Health, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Songlin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: The Key Laboratory of Geriatrics, Beijing Hospital & Beijing Institute of Geriatrics, Ministry of Health, Beijing, China; Beijing Hospital and National Center for Clinical Laboratories, Ministry of Health, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Wenxiang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000597:Amino Acids, Branched-Chain / Q000097:blood*; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012044:Regression Analysis; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D000597:Amino Acids, Branched-Chain