Association Between Serine Concentration and Coronary Heart Disease: A Case-Control Study

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Medicine
• Biochemistry
• Nutritional Science

Background:

• Coronary heart disease (CHD) remains a leading cause of mortality worldwide.
• Identifying novel residual risk factors for CHD is crucial for effective prevention strategies.
• Serine, an amino acid involved in one-carbon metabolism, has potential implications for cardiovascular health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between serum serine concentration and the prevalence of CHD.
• To explore serine as a potential biomarker or therapeutic target for CHD.
• To analyze this association in a cohort of Chinese hospitalized patients.

Main Methods:

• A case-control study involving 428 case-control pairs of patients with CHD and controls.
• Matching of cases and controls by age, sex, and date of coronary angiography.
• Conditional logistic regression analysis to assess the relationship between serine levels and CHD risk.

Main Results:

• Patients with CHD showed a trend towards lower serine concentrations compared to controls, though not statistically significant initially.
• A 6% decrease in CHD odds was observed for every 1 μg/mL increase in serine concentration (P=0.010).
• Individuals with serine levels ≥13.41 μg/mL had significantly lower CHD risk (OR 0.57, P=0.004), with a notable interaction observed in males.

Conclusions:

• Serum serine concentration is inversely associated with CHD prevalence in Chinese hospitalized patients.
• Elevated serine levels may confer a protective effect against the development of coronary heart disease.
• Further research is warranted to elucidate the mechanisms underlying serine's role in cardiovascular protection.