Abstract
We investigated the association between superoxide dismutase (SOD) Ala16Val polymorphism and the levels of oxidized LDL lipoprotein-C (ox-LDL-C) in two age-different Greek cohorts. Four hundred fifteen middle-aged (n=147 females: 43.2+/-13 years, n=268 males: 43.3+/-14 years) Caucasian Greek subjects consisted the middle aged cohort. One hundred seventy five elderly (n=88 females: 79.9+/-4 years; n=87 males: 80.6+/-4 years) were selected from the elderly cohort. Genotype data were obtained for all of them. Multiple linear regression analysis, stratified by gender and adjusted for age, smoking habits and body mass index as covariates, showed higher ox-LDL-C levels for the middle aged men with the Val/Val genotype, compared to the other allele (Ala/Ala and Ala/Val) carriers (65.9+/-25.7 vs. 55.7+/-20.5 mg/dl; standardized beta coefficient=0.192, P=0.012). On the contrary, elderly women with the Val/Val genotype occurred with lower ox-LDL-C levels compared to the Ala/Ala or Ala/Val genotype (74.2+/-22.1 vs. 86.5+/-26.6 mg/dl; standardized beta coefficient= -0.269, P=0.015). The same trend was also recorded in elderly men, however without reaching statistical significance (standardized beta coefficient= -0.187, P=0.077). Moreover, elderly men and women with the Ala/Ala or Ala/Val genotype presented higher triglycerides levels compared to Val/Val (women: 145.2+/-68.7 vs. 114.3+/- 34.3 mg/dl, P= 0.027; men: 147.8+/-72.4 vs. 103.7 +/-38.0 mg/dl, P=0.002). Additionally, middle aged men with the Val/Val genotype had higher HDL-C levels compared to the Ala allele carriers. The results suggest that SOD Ala16Val polymorphism is an age-dependent modulator of ox-LDL-C levels in middle-aged men and elderly women.
Highlights
Aging is an inevitable, heterogeneous but inducible process, characterized by a general decline in physiologic function with an increasing morbidity and mortality rate
We evaluated the prevalence of the superoxide dismutase (SOD) Ala16Val polymorphism and its effect on oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL)-C levels in two age different Greek cohorts, a middle aged one (n = 147 females: 43.2 ± 13 years, n = 268 males: 43.3 ± 14 years) and an oldest old cohort
In this study we evaluated the effect of SOD Ala16Val polymorphism on the ox-LDL-C levels in two age-different groups, a middle aged and an oldest old one
Summary
Heterogeneous but inducible process, characterized by a general decline in physiologic function with an increasing morbidity and mortality rate. The free radical theory of aging was postulated as early as 1956 by Harman (1956) and it may explain many of the physiologic changes associated with aging. According to this hypothesis, different types of free radicals are formed in aerobic organisms, due to their metabolic activity. The most important free radicals are the reactive oxygen species (ROS), which have been shown to damage a whole spectrum of cellular key components, during the aging process (Gutteridge and Halliwell, 2000). Free radicals and reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS, RNS) are mutagenic com pounds, known to cause DNA damage, favor cell transformation, and contribute to the development of a variety of malignant diseases
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