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Ferri N, Ruscica M, Coggi D, Bonomi A, Amato M, Frigerio B, Sansaro D, Ravani A, Veglia F, Capra N, Lupo MG, Macchi C, Castelnuovo S, Savonen K, Silveira A, Kurl S, Giral P, Pirro M, Strawbridge RJ, Gigante B, Smit AJ, Tremoli E, Colombo GI, Baldassarre D. Sex-specific predictors of PCSK9 levels in a European population: The IMPROVE study. Atherosclerosis 2020; 309:39-46. [PMID: 32862087 DOI: 10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2020.07.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2020] [Revised: 06/13/2020] [Accepted: 07/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) is one of the key regulators of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol plasma levels. Circulating PCSK9, which differs between genders, represents a valid pharmacological target for preventing cardiovascular (CV) events. We aimed to investigate sex-related associations between PCSK9 plasma levels and biochemical and anthropomorphic factors, and familial and personal morbidities, in a large European cohort (n = 3673) of men (47.9%) and women (52.1%). METHODS Individuals (aged 54-79 years) free of CV diseases were enrolled in seven centers of five European countries: Finland, France, Italy, the Netherlands, and Sweden. PCSK9 plasma levels were measured by ELISA. RESULTS PCSK9 was higher in women than in men. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that latitude, sex, and treatments with statins and fibrates were the strongest predictors of PCSK9 in the whole group. These variables, together with triglycerides and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, were also associated with PCSK9 in men or women. Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration and pack-years were PCSK9 independent predictors in women, whereas hypercholesterolemia and physical activity were independent predictors in men. The associations between PCSK9 and latitude, uric acid, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia and physical activity were significantly different in men and women (pinteraction <0.05 for all). CONCLUSIONS Besides confirming the association with lipids in the whole group, our study revealed previously unknown differences in PCSK9 predictors in men and women. These might be taken into account when defining individual risk for CV events and/or for refining PCSK9 lowering treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Ferri
- Dipartimento di Scienze Del Farmaco, Università Degli Studi di Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Massimiliano Ruscica
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Daniela Coggi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Alice Bonomi
- Centro Cardiologico Monzino, IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Mauro Amato
- Centro Cardiologico Monzino, IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | | | | | | | | | - Nicolò Capra
- Centro Cardiologico Monzino, IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Maria G Lupo
- Dipartimento di Scienze Del Farmaco, Università Degli Studi di Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Chiara Macchi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Samuela Castelnuovo
- Centro Dislipidemie E. Grossi Paoletti, Ospedale Ca' Granda di Niguarda, Milan, Italy
| | - Kai Savonen
- Foundation for Research in Health Exercise and Nutrition, Kuopio Research Institute of Exercise Medicine, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Angela Silveira
- Atherosclerosis Research Unit, Department of Medicine Solna, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Sudhir Kurl
- Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio Campus, Finland
| | - Philippe Giral
- Assistance Publique - Hopitaux de Paris, Service Endocrinologie-Metabolisme, Groupe Hôpitalier Pitie-Salpetriere, Unités de Prévention Cardiovasculaire, Paris, France
| | - Matteo Pirro
- Internal Medicine, Angiology and Arteriosclerosis Diseases, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Rona J Strawbridge
- Institute of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom; Cardiovascular Medicine Unit, Department of Medicine Solna, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Health Data Research, UK
| | - Bruna Gigante
- Cardiovascular Medicine Unit, Department of Medicine Solna, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Andries J Smit
- Department of Medicine, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen & Isala Clinics Zwolle, Department of Medicine, the Netherlands
| | | | | | - Damiano Baldassarre
- Centro Cardiologico Monzino, IRCCS, Milan, Italy; Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.
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