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Relationship between serum C3 levels and traditional risk factors for myocardial infarction
A Muscari1, G Massarelli, L Bastagli
1Department of Internal Medicine, University of Bologna, S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, Italy. amuscari@med.unibo.it
Insights
Serum C3 levels correlate with key heart attack risk factors like body mass index, LDL cholesterol, and blood pressure, particularly in women. These findings suggest a link to insulin resistance and potential coronary atherosclerosis development.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Science
- Metabolic Syndrome Research
- Immunology and Complement System
Background:
- Serum C3 (complement component 3) is produced by macrophages, liver, and adipose tissue.
- Previous research indicates serum C3 is associated with myocardial infarction risk in men.
- Understanding C3's relationship with traditional risk factors is crucial for cardiovascular health assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the associations between serum C3 levels and conventional cardiovascular risk factors in an unselected population.
- To determine if these relationships differ between men and women.
- To explore potential links between C3, metabolic factors, and coronary atherosclerosis.
Main Methods:
- A random population sample of 1,068 subjects (537 men, 531 women, aged 23-90) was analyzed.
- Serum C3 levels were quantified using nephelometry.
- Multivariate analysis (multiple linear regression) assessed correlations between C3 and risk factors.
Main Results:
- Serum C3 showed independent associations with body mass index (especially in women), LDL-cholesterol (in both sexes), and systolic blood pressure.
- In women, C3 also correlated with triglycerides and blood glucose.
- Women over 50 had higher C3, LDL-cholesterol, and BMI; C3-LDL correlation emerged later in women than men.
Conclusions:
- Serum C3 correlates with a cluster of cardiovascular risk factors that resemble insulin resistance.
- These associations may be independent of or influenced by the development of coronary atherosclerosis.
- Serum C3 may serve as a biomarker linking metabolic disturbances to cardiovascular risk.
Objective:
Serum C3, a complement component produced by macrophages, the liver and the adipose tissue, is associated with the risk of myocardial infarction in men. This study was performed to ascertain the relationships between serum C3 and traditional risk factors in an unselected population sample.
Methods And Results:
A random population of 1,068 subjects (537 men and 531 women, 23 to 90 years old) was examined for risk factor assessment. Serum C3 was measured by nephelometry. C3 was independently associated with body mass index (P < 0.0005, especially in women), LDL-cholesterol (P = 0.0014 in men and 0.0215 in women), systolic blood pressure (P < 0.05) and, in women, with triglycerides (P = 0.0133) and blood glucose (P = 0.0383), as assessed by multivariate analysis (multiple linear regression). The overall R2 were 0.07 and 0.21 for men and women, respectively. Women over 50 years of age had significantly higher C3 levels, LDL-cholesterol and body mass index than younger women. The correlation of C3 with LDL-cholesterol was present after the age of 40 in men, and 2 decades later in women.
Conclusions:
These data show that serum C3 correlates with a cluster of conventional risk factors for myocardial infarction resembling insulin resistance. Such correlations may be either independent of, or mediated by the development of coronary atherosclerosis.