title: LDL cholesterol and apolipoprotein B are associated with ascending aorta dilatation in bicuspid aortic valve patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The factors related to ascending aorta dilation (AAD) in patients with bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) are not completely understood. In addition, the role of cholesterol metabolism in AAD has not been studied.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed the relationship between different lipid parameters and the ascending aorta diameter/presence of aortic dilatation in 91 consecutive patients with BAV.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We observed a positive linear correlation between the total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and apolipoprotein B (ApoB) levels and the ascending aorta diameter. The patients with AAD had higher LDL cholesterol and ApoB levels. Whereas LDL cholesterol and ApoB were identified as independent factors predictors of the aortic root diameter, only ApoB predicted the diameter of the ascending aorta. On the other hand, the levels of ApoB were an independent factor related to the dilatation of the aortic root.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We have observed that cholesterol is associated with ascending aorta diameter and dilation in BAV patients. Further experimental and clinical studies are needed to explain the pathobiology of this association.
authors: From the Grup de Recerca Cardiovascular, Hospital Universitari de Sant Joan, IISPV, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Reus, Spain and josepmaria.alegret@urv.cat.
authors: J M
authors: JM
authors: Alegret
authors: Unitat de Recerca en Lípids i Arteriosclerosi, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Hospital Universitari de Sant Joan, IISPV, CIBERDEM, Reus, Spain.
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Masana
authors: From the Grup de Recerca Cardiovascular, Hospital Universitari de Sant Joan, IISPV, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Reus, Spain and.
authors: N
authors: N
authors: Martinez-Micaelo
authors: Unitat de Recerca en Lípids i Arteriosclerosi, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Hospital Universitari de Sant Joan, IISPV, CIBERDEM, Reus, Spain.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Heras
authors: From the Grup de Recerca Cardiovascular, Hospital Universitari de Sant Joan, IISPV, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Reus, Spain and.
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Beltrán-Debón
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001011:Aorta / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000002:abnormalities*; D001055:Apolipoproteins B / Q000097:blood*; D000082882:Bicuspid Aortic Valve Disease; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood*; D004108:Dilatation, Pathologic; D005260:Female; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D001055:Apolipoproteins B; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL