Influence of obesity and cardiometabolic makers on lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) activity in adolescents: the healthy young cross-sectional study

• Published in: Lipids in health and disease Vol. 12; no. 1; p. 19
• Main Authors: da Silva, Isis T, Timm, Anelise de Souza, Damasceno, Nágila R T
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central 15-02-2013; BioMed Central Ltd
• Subjects: 1-Alkyl-2-acetylglycerophosphocholine Esterase - blood; Adolescent; Antibodies, Antiphospholipid - blood; Apolipoprotein A-I - blood; Apolipoproteins; Apolipoproteins B - blood; Biomarkers - blood; Blood Glucose - metabolism; Body Composition; Body Mass Index; Cardiovascular Diseases - blood; Cardiovascular Diseases - diagnosis; Cardiovascular Diseases - etiology; Cholesterol; Cholesterol, HDL - blood; Cholesterol, LDL - blood; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Humans; Insulin - blood; Insulin resistance; Lipids; Low density lipoprotein; Male; Obesity; Obesity - blood; Obesity - complications; Obesity - diagnosis; Risk Factors; Waist Circumference; Young Adult; Brazil
• ISSN: 1476-511X; 1476-511X
• DOI: 10.1186/1476-511X-12-19

Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 activity (Lp-PLA2) is a good marker of cardiovascular risk in adults. It is strongly associated with stroke and many others cardiovascular events. Despite this, the impact of obesity on this enzyme activity and its relation to biomarkers of cardiovascular disease in adolescents is not very well investigated. The purpose of this article is to evaluate the influence of obesity and cardiometabolic markers on Lp-PLA2 activity in adolescents.
This cross-sectional study included 242 adolescents (10-19 years) of both gender. These subjects were classified in Healthy Weight (n = 77), Overweight (n = 82) and Obese (n = 83) groups. Lipid profile, glucose, insulin, HDL size, LDL(-) and anti-LDL(-) antibodies were analyzed. The Lp-PLA2 activity was determined by a colorimetric commercial kit. Body mass index (BMI), waist circumference and body composition were monitored. Food intake was evaluated using three 24-hour diet recalls. The Lp-PLA2 activity changed in function to high BMI, waist circumference and fat mass percentage. It was also positively associated with HOMA-IR, glucose, insulin and almost all variables of lipid profile. Furthermore, it was negatively related to Apo AI (β = -0.137; P = 0.038) and strongly positively associated with Apo B (β = 0.293; P < 0.001) and with Apo B/Apo AI ratio (β = 0.343; P < 0.001). The better predictor model for enzyme activity, on multivariate analysis, included Apo B/Apo AI (β = 0.327; P < 0.001), HDL size (β = -0.326; P < 0.001), WC (β = 0.171; P = 0.006) and glucose (β = 0.119; P = 0.038). Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that changes in Apo B/Apo AI ratio were associated with a 73.5 times higher risk to elevated Lp-PLA2 activity.
Lp-PLA2 changes in function of obesity, and that it shows important associations with markers of cardiovascular risk, in particular with waist circumference, glucose, HDL size and Apo B/Apo AI ratio. These results suggest that Lp-PLA2 activity can be a cardiovascular biomarker in adolescence.