Plasma concentrations of apolipoproteins A-I, B, and M in patients with critical limb ischemia

ObjectivesApolipoproteins affect development of atherosclerosis, but their involvement in the pathogenesis of critical limb ischemia (CLI), a severe form of atherosclerosis, has not previously been examined.Design and methodsApoA-I, apoB, and apoM were measured in plasma from 196 CLI subjects and 214 control individuals from the background population.ResultsCases had lower levels of the apolipoproteins, as compared to controls; apoA-I, 1.23 vs. 2.08 g/L; apoB, 0.93 vs. 1.04 g/L; apoM, 0.75 vs. 0.91 μmol/L (p < 0.0001 for all three). ApoA-I and apoM correlated negatively with inflammatory markers and positively to 1- and 3-year survival rates, whereas apoB did not. In multivariate analyses, apoA-I, but not apoB and apoM, was independently associated with CLI, the odds ratio being 0.015.ConclusionsIn subjects with CLI, plasma concentrations of apoA-I, apoB and apoM were significantly lower than in control individuals, but only apoA-I was independently associated to CLI.