Anti-oxLDL autoantibodies and their correlation with lipid profile and nutritional status in adolescents

To investigate whether levels of autoantibodies to oxidized LDL (anti-oxLDL) in the plasma of adolescents correlates with their anthropometric measurements and lipid profiles.

The study enrolled 150 adolescents aged between 10 and 15 years, recruited from the obesity clinic at Universidade Federal de São Paulo (SP) and from public schools in Piracicaba, SP, Brazil. Anthropometric measurements such as body mass index and waist and arm circumferences were used to classify the adolescents as having healthy weight, overweight or obesity. Colorimetric enzymatic methods were used for biochemical lipid profile analysis and ELISA was used to determine anti-oxLDL autoantibody levels.

Analysis of anthropometric variables indicated that the obese group's profile was abnormal compared to the healthy weight and overweight groups (p < 0.01), indicating cardiovascular risk. Analysis of the lipid profiles demonstrated statistically significant differences in concentrations of total cholesterol (p = 0.011), HDL-cholesterol (p = 0.001) and LDL-cholesterol (p < 0.042) between the healthy weight group and the obese group. Analysis of plasma anti-oxLDL autoantibodies demonstrated that the overweight (p = 0.012) and obese groups (p < 0.001) had higher values than the healthy weight group. There were also correlations between anti-oxLDL autoantibody levels and anthropometric variables.

In adolescents the presence of anti-oxLDL autoantibodies and metabolic changes to the lipid profile vary in proportion with anthropometric parameters, which makes anti-oxLDL concentration a potential biochemical indicator of risk of metabolic syndrome.