Enhanced status of inflammation and endothelial activation in subjects with familial hypercholesterolaemia and their related unaffected family members: a case control study

BACKGROUND: Familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) leads to premature coronary artery diseases (CAD) which pathophysiologically can be measured by inflammation, endothelial activation and oxidative stress status. However, the status of these biomarkers among related unaffected relatives of FH cases and whether FH is an independent predictor of these biomarkers have not been well established. Thus, this study aims to (1) compare the biomarkers of inflammation, endothelial activation and oxidative stress between patients with FH, their related unaffected relatives (RUC) and normolipaemic subjects (NC) (2)determine whether FH is an independent predictor of these biomarkers.

METHODS: One hundred thirty-one FH patients, 68 RUC and 214 matched NC were recruited. Fasting lipid profile, biomarkers of inflammation (hsCRP), endothelial activation (sICAM-1 and E-selectin) and oxidative stress [oxidized LDL (oxLDL), malondialdehyde (MDA) and F2-isoprostanes (ISP)] were analyzed and independent predictor was determined using binary logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS: hsCRP was higher in FH and RUC compared to NC (mean ± SD = 1.53 ± 1.24 mg/L and mean ± SD = 2.54 ± 2.30 vs 1.10 ± 0.89 mg/L, p  0.05). FH was an independent predictor for sICAM-1 (p = 0.007), ox-LDL (p