Submitted on March 6, 2006
Revised on July 19, 2006
Accepted on August 3, 2006
Autoantibody titers against oxidized LDL are correlated with Achilles tendon thickness in patients with familial hypercholesterolemia
Sofia G. Tsouli, Dimitrios N. Kiortsis, Evangelia S. Lourida, Vasilios Xydis, Loukas D. Tsironis, Maria I. Argyropoulou, Moses Elisaf, and Alexandros D. Tselepis
Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece 45110
Corresponding Author: atselep{at}uoi.gr
Achilles tendon xanthomas are associated with increased cardiovascular risk in patients with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH). Oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL), the antibodies against oxLDL and the LDL-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) may play important roles in atherogenesis. We investigated the possible association between plasma levels of oxLDL, Lp-PLA2 activity and autoantibody titres against various types of mildly oxLDL with Achilles tendon thickness (ATT). ATT was determined by sonography in 80 unrelated heterozygous FH patients. Three different types of mildly oxidised LDL were prepared; oxLDLL, oxLDLP, oxLDLD, at the end of lag, propagation and decomposition phase of oxidation, respectively. Similar types of oxLDL were also prepared after inactivation of the LDL-associated Lp-PLA2. These types were denoted as oxLDL(-)L, oxLDL(-)P and oxLDL(-)D. FH patients exhibited significantly higher plasma oxLDL levels and serum IgG titers against oxLDLP and oxLDLD compared with 40 normolipidemic apparently healthy controls. ATT values were positively correlated with autoantibody titers against oxLDLP and oxLDLD, however; in multiple regression analysis, ATT was independently associated only with the autoantibody titers against oxLDLD. We conclude that the IgG autoantibody titers against oxLDLD but not oxLDL or Lp-PLA2 may play an important role in the pathogenesis of Achilles tendon xanthomas in FH patients.
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