| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3001910 | Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases | 2015 | 7 Pages |
•Multiple genetic and metabolic factors contribute to the difference in PCSK9 levels.•ABO blood group is also related to cholesterol metabolism and CAD risk.•Relation of ABO to PCSK9 levels was examined.•Data showed that ABO was independently related to PCSK9 level.•The study may provide new evidence for the determinants of PCSK9 levels.
Background and aimsProprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9), a newly-identified member that plays an essential role in cholesterol homeostasis and holds decent promise for hyperlipidemia and coronary artery disease (CAD) treatment. However, the determining factors of PCSK9 are not well-characterized. It is well established that ABO blood group is associated with cholesterol metabolism. Therefore, the relationship between ABO blood groups and plasma PCSK9 level was examined.Methods and resultsA group of 507 consecutive patients undergoing diagnostic or interventional coronary angiography were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. The baseline clinical characteristics were collected, and the plasma PCSK9 levels were determined using ELISA. As a result, subjects of non-O type had higher levels of total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), non high density lipoprotein cholesterol (NHDL-C), apolipoprotein B (apo B), and PCSK9 compared with that of O type (p < 0.05, all). PCSK9 levels were significantly and positively related to TC, LDL, NHDL-C, and apo B (r = 0.253, p < 0.001; r = 0.262, p < 0.001; r = 0.215, p < 0.001; r = 0.187, p < 0.001; respectively). Multivariable regression analysis revealed that ABO group was significantly and independently associated with PCSK9 level (β = 7.91, p = 0.009). Additionally, mediation analysis indicated that ≈8%–19% of the effect of ABO blood group on PCSK9 levels was mediated by TC, LDL-C or NHDL-C levels.ConclusionsThese data firstly suggested that the ABO blood group might be a significant determinant factor for plasma PCSK9 level. It is also possible that the observed association between PCSK9 and ABO blood group might be in part involved in their CAD susceptibility.
