Correlation of atherosclerosis between different topographic sites is highly dependent on the type of hyperlipidemia

There is a surprising paucity of studies that provide quantitative correlative data on the extent of atherosclerosis between different topographic sites. The impact of cardiovascular risk factors is dependent on the vascular bed, which underlies site-selective effects on progression of atherosclerosis. Therefore, the intraindividual correlation of atherosclerosis between different topographic sites may be dependent on the specific cardiovascular risk profile. The focused objective of the current study is to evaluate whether the correlation of the extent of atherosclerosis between different topographic sites is dependent on the type of hyperlipidemia. Atherosclerosis was quantified at four different topographic locations in the aorta of rabbits with type II or type III hyperlipidemia. Correlation coefficients and semi-partial correlation coefficients adjusted for plasma lipoproteins and sex were determined to compare the degree of atherosclerosis at different topographic sites. Semi-partial correlations adjusted for total plasma cholesterol, plasma triglycerides, and sex of the intima/media ratio between different topographic sites were highly dependent on the type of hyperlipidemia. E.g., the semi-partial correlation coefficient between the intima/media ratio at the level of the ascending aorta and at the level of the descending thoracic aorta was 0.87 (p < 0.0001) in the model of type II hyperlipidemia and was only 0.10 (p = NS) in the model of type III hyperlipidemia. This divergent pattern was also observed for other intersite correlations. Semi-partial Pearson correlation coefficients were very similar to unadjusted Pearson correlation coefficients. Correlation of atherosclerosis between different topographic sites may vary importantly in relation to the type of hyperlipidemia.