Background: Cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP), a hydrophobic glycoprotein has a key role in high- density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) metabolism. It transfers cholesteryl esters from HDL to apolipoprotein-B containing particles in exchange for triglycerides, thereby reducing the concentration of HDL-C and increasing non-HDL-C, a lipoprotein distribution predisposing to atheroma formation. Plasma CETPactivity has been associated with plasma HDL-C concentrations.
Objectives: To determine the association of plasma CETP activity and its associated plasma lipoproteins concentration with angiographically confirmed Coronary artery disease (CAD).
Materials and Methods: In this case-control study, we analysed the plasma CETP activity in 146 patients with angiographically proven Coronary atherosclerosis and 145 non-cardiac cases as control subjects. Plasma CETP activity was determined by fluorometry and serum lipoproteins wereestimated by routine enzymatic end point methods using an autoanalyser.
Results: Patients with CAD had significantly high plasma CETP activity (90.72+15.83pmol/μL/hr) than control subjects (65.23 + 12.23pmol/μL/hr, P=0.000). CAD patients with single, double or triple vessel disease had significantly high CETP activity when compared to control subjects. Significantly lower HDL-C (38.5+9.7 mg/dl versus 48.2+9.9 mg/dL,P=0.000) was observed in Coronary atherosclerosis patients than control subjects.
Conclusion: Our findings indicated that the plasma CETP activity was significantly associated with severity of Coronary artery disease and CETP activity may be an independent risk factor for Coronary atherosclerosis.
Keywords: Cholesteryl ester transfer protein, High density lipoprotein, Coronary artery disease
