Serum uric acid and markers of low-density lipoprotein oxidation in nonsmoking healthy subjects: data from the Brisighella Heart Study.

BACKGROUND

Serum uric acid (SUA) levels, an inexpensive and standardized marker of systemic oxidative stress, has been recently associated with the risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular events.

OBJECTIVE

The main objective of the study was to evaluate the possible relationship between SUA, oxidized low-density lipoproteins (oxLDLs) and LDL susceptibility to oxidation in a sample of nonsmoking healthy subjects.

METHODS

From the general database of the Brisighella Heart Study, we selected a sample of 354 nonsmoking and pharmacologically untreated adult subjects, in primary prevention for cardiovascular disease, with normal renal function, and without known allergic or rheumatic diseases, who were visited during the 2008 population survey. A full set of clinical and hematochemical parameters was evaluated together with oxidative susceptibility of LDL and oxLDL levels.

RESULTS

In a multivariate analysis, the oxLDL level was positively correlated with apolipoprotein B (ApoB; B = 0.077; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.015-0.139; P = 0.016), triglicerydes (B = 0.050; 95% CI, 0.032-0.069; P <0.001), LDL cholesterol (B = 0.102; 95% CI, 0.052-0.153; P <0.001) and SUA (B = 1.106; 95% CI, 0.405-1.807; P = 0.002). The diene level was positively correlated with the levels of LDL cholesterol (B = 0.685; 95% CI, 0.347-1.023; P <0.001), SUA (B = 2.201; 95% CI, 1.117-5.285; P <0.001), and ApoB (B = 0.717; 95% CI, 0.404-1.031; P <0.001). The LDL lag phase was inversely correlated with ApoB (P = 0.001) and fasting plasma glucose (P = 0.022). The propagation phase was positively correlated with age (P = 0.013) and inversely with triglycerides (P = 0.015).

CONCLUSIONS

In a sample of healthy subjects, SUA is significantly associated to oxLDL and diene levels, but not to LDL lag phase and propagation phase.