Activity of Lipoprotein-Associated Enzymes in Indigenous Children Living at Different Altitudes

High altitude is associated with hypobaric hypoxia, and metabolic modifications. In particular, alterations to lipoprotein-associated enzymes have been reported under hypoxia.

To determine the association between paraoxonase 1 (PON-1) and Cholesteryl-ester transfer protein (CETP) activities and altitude in two groups of Argentinean Indigenous schoolchildren living at different altitudes.

A cross-sectional study compared 151 schoolchildren from San Antonio de los Cobres (SAC), 3,750 m, with 175 schoolchildren from Chicoana (CH), 1,400 m. Anthropometric data, lipids, apolipoprotein (apo) A-I, apo B, plus PON-1 and CETP activities were determined.

The prevalence of overweight/obesity was significantly lower in SAC than in CH. Z- BMI (0.3 vs 0.7), Apo A-I/Apo B (1.67 vs. 1.85) and PON-1 (170 vs. 243 nmol/mL.min) were significantly lower in SAC than in CH, respectively. Total cholesterol (156 vs 144 mg/dL), triglycerides (TG) (119 vs. 94 mg/dL), apo A-I (133 vs. 128 mg/dL), apo B (84 vs. 73 mg/dL), hematocrit (48 vs. 41%), transferrin (295 vs. 260 mg/dL) and CETP (181 vs. 150%/mL.h) were significantly higher in SAC than in CH. There was a significant univariate association between altitude and transferrin (r0.38), hematocrit (r0.75), TG (r0.24), apo B (r0.29), PON-1 (r-0.40), and CETP (r0.37). Multiple linear regression analyses showed that altitude was significantly associated with children's TG (β = 0.28, R² = 0.14), HDL-C (β = ‒0.27; R² = 0.23), apo B (β = 0.32; R² = 0.14), CETP (β = 0.38; R² = 0.15) and PON-1 (β = ‒0.36; R² = 0.16), adjusted for age, gender and BMI.

SAC children presented a more atherogenic lipid profile, plus lower PON1 and higher CETP activities, than CH children.