Plasma Ionomic Profile and Interaction Patterns in Coronary Artery Disease Patients

Humans are exposed to various chemical elements that have been associated with the development and progression of diseases such as coronary artery disease (CAD). Unlike previous research, we employed a multi-element approach to investigate CAD patients and those with comorbid conditions such as diabetes (CAD-DM2), high blood pressure (CAD-HBP), or high blood lipids (CAD-HBL). Plasma concentrations of 21 elements, including lithium (Li), boron (B), aluminum (Al), calcium (Ca), titanium (Ti), vanadium (V), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), arsenic (As), selenium (Se), strontium (Sr), cadmium (Cd), tin (Sn), stibium (Sb), barium (Ba), and lead (Pb), were measured in CAD patients (n = 201) and healthy subjects (n = 110) using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Principal component analysis (PCA) and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) models were utilized to analyze the ionomic profiles. Spearman correlation analysis was employed to identify the interaction patterns among individual elements. We found that levels of Ba, Li, Ni, Zn and Pb were elevated in the CAD group compared to the healthy group, while Sb, Ca, Cu, Ti, Fe, and Se were lower. Furthermore, the CAD-DM2 group exhibited higher levels of Ni and Cd, while the CAD-HBP group showed lower levels of Co and Mn. In the CAD-HBL group, Ti was increased, whereas Ba, Cr, Cu, Co, Mn, and Ni were reduced. In conclusion, ionomic profiles can be utilized to differentiate CAD patients from healthy individuals, potentially providing insights for future treatment or dietary interventions.