Related Experiment Videos
Elevated plasma lipid hydroperoxides in patients with coronary artery disease
I B Kovacs1, M Jahangiri, G M Rees
1Thrombosis Unit, William Harvey Research Institute, St. Bartholomew's Hospital, London, United Kingdom.
Insights
Elevated lipid hydroperoxides, carried mainly by LDL cholesterol, are significantly increased in patients with atherosclerosis. This finding, measured by a specific assay, holds pathological significance for cardiovascular disease.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Cardiovascular Research
- Oxidative Stress
Background:
- The role of circulating lipid peroxides in atherosclerosis remains debated.
- Evidence for elevated plasma lipid peroxide levels in atherosclerotic patients is limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the correlation between plasma total lipid hydroperoxide and LDL cholesterol lipid hydroperoxide.
- To quantify plasma lipid hydroperoxide levels in patients post-coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery.
- To assess the pathological significance of elevated lipid hydroperoxides in atherosclerosis.
Main Methods:
- A specific assay was used to measure plasma lipid hydroperoxide levels.
- Correlation analysis was performed between total plasma lipid hydroperoxide and LDL cholesterol lipid hydroperoxide content.
- Plasma lipid hydroperoxide levels were compared between 70 patients 3 months post-CABG surgery and matched healthy controls.
Main Results:
- A strong positive correlation (r = 0.882, p < 0.001) was observed between plasma total lipid hydroperoxide and LDL cholesterol lipid hydroperoxide.
- Lipid hydroperoxides were found to be carried predominantly (89%) in LDL particles.
- Patients post-CABG surgery exhibited significantly increased plasma lipid hydroperoxide levels (4.31 +/- 0.23 nmol/ml) compared to healthy controls (2.34 +/- 0.13 nmol/ml, p < 0.0001).
Conclusions:
- Plasma lipid hydroperoxides are primarily associated with LDL cholesterol.
- Significantly elevated plasma lipid hydroperoxide levels are present in patients with atherosclerosis, specifically those who have undergone CABG surgery.
- These findings indicate a pathological role for lipid hydroperoxides in the context of atherosclerosis, despite concentrations being lower than those detected by less specific assays.
Abstract:
Sustained presence of lipid peroxides in the circulation and their plasma carrier is a controversial issue. Particularly, there is no firm evidence for an increased plasma lipid peroxide level in patients with atherosclerosis. In this study, a strong correlation was found between plasma total lipid hydroperoxide and lipid hydroperoxide content of LDL cholesterol (r = 0.882; p < 0.001; n = 16). Lipid hydroperoxides in plasma were carried almost exclusively (89%) in LDL. In 70 patients tested 3 months after coronary artery bypass graft surgery with a specific assay, plasma lipid hydroperoxide levels were significantly increased when compared with matched healthy controls (4.31 +/- 0.23 nmol/ml and 2.34 +/- 0.13 nmol/ml, p < 0.0001, patients vs controls, respectively). These concentrations are 10 times lower than those detected by the nonspecific thiobarbituric acid assay. However, considering the in vitro concentration range in which oxidized LDL exerts important atherogenic effects, the elevated plasma lipid hydroperoxide levels measured in atherosclerotic patients have pathologic significance.