Plasma apolipoprotein concentrations and occurrence of cardiovascular events in the general population: an exploratory analysis

Background and aims

The role of many apolipoproteins in cardiovascular disease (CVD) pathophysiology and their predictive potential remains unclear. This study examined the association between plasma concentrations of a broad panel of apolipoproteins and the occurrence of cardiovascular events in a general population.

Methods

A nested case-control study was conducted within a cohort from Southwestern France. Baseline concentrations of apolipoproteins A-I, A-II, A-IV, B100, C-I, C-II, C-III, D, E, H, J, L1 and M were analyzed in 65 cases who experienced a cardiovascular event during the follow-up period, and in 65 controls matched for age and sex (mean age 60.9 ± 10.7 years; 66.9 % men; median follow up 9.3 years for controls, 6.2 years for cases). Baseline correlations were assessed using Spearman's coefficients.

Logistic regression and partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) were used to evaluate associations with the occurrence of cardiovascular events.

Results

Concentrations of apolipoproteins A-I, A-IV, C-I, D, H, J and M differed significantly between cases and controls. All expect apoM remained independently associated with cardiovascular events after adjustment for known risk factors. Additionally, PLS-DA revealed that the entire apolipoprotein panel explained 64 % of variance in case-control status with 60 % predictive accuracy, with apolipoproteins D, J, A-IV, H, and C-I contributing the most to group discrimination.

Conclusions

This study identifies a novel panel of apolipoproteins (A-I, A-IV, C-I, D, H, and J) whose levels are associated with occurrence of cardiovascular diseases, independently of traditional risk factors. Further research is needed to confirm these findings and explore underlying mechanisms.