Endothelial cell-related genetic variants identify LDL cholesterol-sensitive individuals who derive greater benefit from aggressive lipid lowering

Abstract

The role of endothelial cell (EC) dysfunction in contributing to an individual’s susceptibility to coronary atherosclerosis and how low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) concentrations might modify this relationship have not been previously studied. Here, from an examination of genome-wide significant single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with coronary artery disease (CAD), we identified variants with effects on EC function and constructed a 35 single nucleotide polymorphism polygenic risk score comprising these EC-specific variants (EC PRS). The association of the EC PRS with the risk of incident cardiovascular disease was tested in 3 cohorts: a primary prevention population in the UK Biobank (UKBB; n = 348,967); a primary prevention cohort from a trial that tested a statin (JUPITER, n = 8,749); and a secondary prevention cohort that tested a PCSK9 inhibitor (FOURIER, n = 14,298). In the UKBB, the EC PRS was independently associated with the risk of incident CAD (adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) per 1 s.d. of 1.24 (95% CI 1.21–1.26), P < 2 × 10−16). Moreover, LDL-C concentration significantly modified this risk: the aHR per 1 s.d. was 1.26 (1.22–1.30) when LDL-C was 150 mg dl−1 but 1.00 (0.85–1.16) when LDL-C was 50 mg dl−1 (Pinteraction = 0.004). The clinical benefit of LDL-C lowering was significantly greater in individuals with a high EC PRS than in individuals with low or intermediate EC PRS, with relative risk reductions of 68% (HR 0.32 (0.18–0.59)) versus 29% (HR 0.71 (0.52–0.95)) in the primary prevention cohort (Pinteraction = 0.02) and 33% (HR 0.67 (0.53–0.83)) versus 8% (HR 0.92 (0.82–1.03)) in the secondary prevention cohort (Pinteraction = 0.01). We conclude that EC PRS quantifies an independent axis of CAD risk that is not currently captured in medical practice and identifies individuals who are more sensitive to the atherogenic effects of LDL-C and who would potentially derive substantially greater benefit from aggressive LDL-C lowering. From an analysis of participants in lipid-lowering trials for primary and secondary prevention of coronary artery disease, a polygenic risk score comprising 35 single nucleotide variants with predicted effects on endothelial cell function identified patients who benefited most from aggressive lipid-lowering therapy.