title: Serum CETP and PLTP activity in middle-aged men living in urban or rural area of the Lower Silesia region. PURE Poland sub-study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The dependence of lipid transfer proteins on significant pro-atherogenic factors is unclear. The aim of the study was to evaluate serum cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) and phospholipid transfer protein (PLTP) activity in relation to lipid disturbances in men living in an urban or rural area.
  
  
  METHODS
  A group of 427 men, volunteers for the Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology (PURE) sub-study - 263 urban inhabitants (aged 51.9 ±6.0) and 164 residents of villages (aged 51.1 ±5.9) - were examined. In the multivariable linear regression model, the following factors were included as potential confounders: age, body mass index (BMI), smoking, alcohol consumption, hs-C-reactive protein reaction (hs-CRP) and co-existence of chronic diseases.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In multiple linear regression models, site of residence (urban or rural area) was the most important independent and consistent predictor of CETP and PLTP activity; β coefficients (95% CI) for CETP (0.18) and PLTP (-0.29) were significant at levels of p < 0.001. Three-way analysis of variance showed no effect of smoking or moderate alcohol consumption on lipid transfer proteins; however, CETP activity showed an interaction effect between these risk factors. In the group of all men, CETP activity was significantly and positively correlated with total cholesterol (r = 0.24), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (r = 0.18), and non-high density lipoprotein cholesterol (r = 0.21), whereas PLTP activity was correlated with BMI (r = 0.12). Body mass index in rural men was higher than in the urban male population.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Increased PLTP activity, recognized as a pro-atherogenic factor, and decreased CETP activity, known as a protective factor, both observed in men living in rural areas, are probably conditioned by nutritional and/or genetic factors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal and Occupational Diseases and Hypertension, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Skoczyńska
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal and Occupational Diseases and Hypertension, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wojakowska
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal and Occupational Diseases and Hypertension, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Turczyn
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal and Occupational Diseases and Hypertension, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Katarzyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zatońska
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal and Occupational Diseases and Hypertension, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wołyniec
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal and Occupational Diseases and Hypertension, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Andrzej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Szuba
keywords: cholesteryl ester transfer protein; men; phospholipid transfer protein