Cell adhesion molecules and secretory type II phospholipase A2 in relation to carotid atherosclerosis in patients with hypercholesterolaemia.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: There has been no previous study investigating the relationship between subclinical atherosclerosis, as measured by ultrasound, and circulating levels of cell-adhesion molecules and snpPLA2 in patients with hypercholesterolaemia. The main aims of the present study were therefore to investigate the relationship between subclinical atherosclerosis, cell-adhesion molecules and snpPLA2 in a group of subjects with hypercholesterolaemia and also in a healthy control group; and to investigate the relationship between conventional risk factors, cell-adhesion molecules and snpPLA2 in these groups. METHODS: Study subjects were recruited from the general population (50 subjects with hypercholesterolaemia and all 105 controls) and from the lipid clinic of Sahlgrens Hospital, Gothenburg (55 subjects with hypercholesterolaemia). Cell-adhesion molecules and snpPLA2 were analyzed by ELISA. RESULTS: The levels of sICAM turned out to be positively and significantly associated with plaque occurrence and plaque size in the carotid artery in the patient group, but not in the control group. There were no significant relationships between sVCAM, sE-selectin or snpPLA2 and atherosclerosis, as measured by ultrasound. However, sICAM was significantly associated with sVCAM, sE-selectin and snpPLA2 both in the patient and in the control groups. In the patient group sICAM was positively and significantly associated with triglyceride levels and also negatively associated with high density lipoprotein (HDL) levels. CONCLUSIONS: The present study showed that sICAM-1 was significantly associated with atherosclerosis, as measured by ultrasound, in the carotid artery in patients with hypercholesterolaemia. Furthermore, sICAM-1 levels were associated with plasma levels of snpPLA2 (r=0.44, P < 0.001), which recently have been shown to predict coronary events. Finally, high sICAM-1 levels were associated with an atherogenic lipid profile including high triglyceride levels and low HDL levels.