title: The relationship between retinol-binding protein 4 and apolipoprotein B-containing lipoproteins is attenuated in patients with very high serum triglycerides: A pilot study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The investigation of the association between retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4) and lipoproteins in subjects with hypertriglyceridemia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-six obese or overweight hypertriglyceridemic patients were studied at baseline and 20 of them underwent a hypocaloric low-fat diet for 3 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Plasma RBP4 levels were positively correlated with serum triglycerides (TG) in the subgroup of patients with TG <200 mg/dL (r=0.453, p=0.039) and negatively correlated with TG in patients with TG ≥200 mg/dL (r=-0.487, p=0.019). In the subgroup with TG <200 mg/ dL, subjects with circulating RBP4 above the median 46 mg/L had higher levels of intermediate density lipoprotein-cholesterol (IDL-C), low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) and apolipoprotein B (ApoB), while these differences were absent in patients with TG ≥200 mg/dL. The associations of percentage changes of circulating RBP4 with the percentage changes of LDL-C, very low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (VLDL-C) and ApoB were positive after the first month and 3 months of diet for patients with baseline TG <200 mg/dL, while no correlations existed for patients with TG ≥200 mg/dL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The positive association between circulating RBP4 and ApoB-containing lipoproteins in a steady metabolic state, as well as during a hypocaloric diet, appears to be attenuated in patients with very high TG.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Physiology, Medical School, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece.
authors.forename: Georgios A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Christou
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece.
authors.forename: Constantinos C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Tellis
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Medical School, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece.
authors.forename: Moses S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Elisaf
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece.
authors.forename: Alexandros D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Tselepis
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Physiology, Medical School, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece.
authors.forename: Dimitrios N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Kiortsis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001055:Apolipoproteins B / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015228:Hypertriglyceridemia / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D054839:Retinol-Binding Proteins, Plasma / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D001055:Apolipoproteins B; C101326:RBP4 protein, human; D054839:Retinol-Binding Proteins, Plasma; D014280:Triglycerides