Remnant lipoproteins are related to intima-media thickness of the carotid artery independently of LDL cholesterol and plasma triglycerides

Fredrik Karpe,Susanna Boquist,Rong Tang,Gene M Bond,Ulf De Faire,Anders Hamsten

doi:10.1016/s0022-2275(20)32331-2

Abstract

Remnants of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins (TRL) have been implicated in the early development of atherosclerosis. We tested this hypothesis by quantifying the plasma concentration of remnant-like particle cholesterol (RLP-C) in a cohort of healthy 50-year-old men in whom the common carotid artery intima-media thickness (CCA-IMT) was assessed by B-mode ultrasound as a surrogate marker for atherosclerosis. The subjects were given a fat-rich meal to study the generation of RLP-C during postprandial lipemia. Fasting plasma RLP-C and other major fasting plasma lipids and lipoproteins were determined twice, and the mean RLP-C concentration was strongly correlated with CCA-IMT (r = 0.32, P = 0.002). In addition, low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (r = 0.25, P = 0.01) and plasma triglycerides (r = 0.20, P = 0.05) were significantly related to CCA-IMT. Multivariate analyses showed a triglyceride-independent contribution of RLP-C to CCA-IMT. After fat intake, the median plasma RLP-C concentration was doubled after 3 h. The increase was strongly related to the postprandial generation of TRL apolipoprotein (apo)B-48, and large (Sf 60–400) TRL apoB-100. The association with CCA-IMT was somewhat stronger for the 3-h RLP-C level than for the fasting RLP-C concentration [r = 0.27, P < 0.01 (3 h) compared with r = 0.22, P < 0.05 (0 h)]. We conclude that the plasma concentration of RLP-C is related to CCA-IMT, independent of plasma triglycerides and LDL cholesterol, in a healthy middle-aged male population.—Karpe, F., S. Boquist, R. Tang, G. M. Bond, U. de Faire, and A. Hamsten. Remnant lipoproteins are related to intima-media thickness of the carotid artery independently of LDL cholesterol and plasma triglycerides. J. Lipid Res. 2001. 42: 17–21.

Highlights

Remnants of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins (TRL) have been implicated in the early development of atherosclerosis
The present study is the first to show an association in healthy humans between a surrogate marker for early atherosclerosis and a marker for remnants of TRL that is independent of plasma triglycerides and low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol
This study lends support to the notion that there is a subpopulation within the TRL fraction that is atherogenic and that this subpopulation can be identified by quantification of remnant-like particle cholesterol (RLP-C)

Summary

Introduction

Remnants of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins (TRL) have been implicated in the early development of atherosclerosis We tested this hypothesis by quantifying the plasma concentration of remnant-like particle cholesterol (RLP-C) in a cohort of healthy 50-year-old men in whom the common carotid artery intima-media thickness (CCA-IMT) was assessed by B-mode ultrasound as a surrogate marker for atherosclerosis. We reported positive correlations between plasma measurements of postprandial triglycerides and common carotid artery intima-media thickness (CCA-IMT) in healthy asymptomatic subjects. The TRL apoB-48 and B-100 levels were not independent predictors of CCA-IMT in this study either The consistency of these findings might imply that plasma triglycerides are more closely related to potentially atherogenic lipoproteins than conventional physicochemical determinations of density-defined TRL concentrations of apoB-48 and apoB-100. Detection of RLP-C, using the JIH antibody, is likely to provide a good estimate of remnant cholesterol levels in plasma

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Conclusion