Antibodies to oxidized LDL in relation to intima-media thickness in carotid and femoral arteries in 58-year-old subjectively clinically healthy men

Abstract

Antibody (Ab) titers to oxidized low density lipoprotein (OxLDL) have been found to be independent predictors of the progression of carotid atherosclerosis. Ab titers against OxLDL may be related to the entire burden of atherosclerosis in the vascular tree or, more specifically, to the disease process in different arterial regions. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between IgG and IgM titers to modified LDL and intima-media thickness (IMT) in the carotid and femoral arteries in subjectively clinically healthy 58-year-old men. IMT was measured by ultrasound, and Ab titers to modified LDL were measured by ELISA. The results showed that the common carotid artery IMT was associated with elevated titers of IgG-OxLDL Ab and independently with systolic blood pressure, smoking, and body mass index. The femoral artery IMT showed a negative correlation to IgM-OxLDL Ab and independent associations with smoking, systolic blood pressure, and total cholesterol. To summarize, in 58-year-old subjectively clinically healthy men recruited from the general population, there was a positive association between IgG-OxLDL Ab and IMT in the common carotid artery and a negative association between IgM-OxLDL Ab and IMT in the common femoral artery. However, these associations were not independent of other risk factors.