Published online May 26, 2017. doi: 10.4330/wjc.v9.i5.448
Peer-review started: November 25, 2016
First decision: January 16, 2017
Revised: March 3, 2017
Accepted: April 6, 2017
Article in press: April 10, 2017
Published online: May 26, 2017
Processing time: 177 Days and 6.2 Hours
To evaluate novel risk factors and biomarkers of cardiovascular disease in celiac disease (CD) patients compared with healthy controls.
Twenty adult patients with recent diagnosis of CD and 20 sex, age and body mass index-matched healthy controls were recruited during a period of 12 mo. Indicators of carbohydrate metabolism, hematological parameters and high sensitive C reactive protein were determined. Moreover, lipoprotein metabolism was also explored through evaluation of the lipid profile and the activity of cholesteryl ester transfer protein and lipoprotein associated phospholipase A2, which is also considered a specific marker of vascular inflammation. The protocol was approved by the Ethic Committee from School of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, University of Buenos Aires and from Buenos Aires Italian Hospital, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Regarding the indicators of insulin resistance, CD patients showed higher plasma insulin levels [7.2 (5.0-11.3) mU/L vs 4.6 (2.6-6.7) mU/L, P < 0.05], increased Homeostasis Model Assessment-Insulin Resistance [1.45 (1.04-2.24) vs 1.00 (0.51-1.45), P < 0.05] and lower Quantitative Sensitive Check index [0.33 (0.28-0.40) vs 0.42 (0.34-0.65), P < 0.05] indexes. Folic acid concentration [5.4 (4.4-7.9) ng/mL vs 12.2 (8.0-14.2) ng/mL, P < 0.01] resulted to be lower and High-sensitivity C reactive protein levels higher (4.21 ± 6.47 mg/L vs 0.98 ± 1.13 mg/L, P < 0.01) in the patient group. With respect to the lipoprotein profile, CD patients showed lower high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) (45 ± 15 mg/dL vs 57 ± 17 mg/dL, P < 0.05) and apo A-I (130 ± 31 mg/dL vs 155 ± 29 mg/dL, P < 0.05) levels, as well as higher total cholesterol/HDL-C [4.19 (3.11-5.00) vs 3.52 (2.84-4.08), P < 0.05] and apo B/apo A-I (0.75 ± 0.25 vs 0.55 ± 0.16, P < 0.05) ratios in comparison with control subjects. No statistically significant differences were detected in lipoprotein-associated lipid transfer protein and enzymes.
The presence and interaction of the detected alterations in patients with CD, would constitute a risk factor for the development of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
Core tip: Given that data about the presence of metabolic alterations and atherogenic risk factors in celiac disease are scarce and contradictory, we aimed to investigate carbohydrate metabolism, lipoprotein profile and inflammatory status in patients with celiac disease (CD). Patients presented higher insulin levels, Homeostasis Model Assessment-Insulin Resistance index, apo B/apo A-I ratio and High-sensitivity C reactive protein concentration, as well as lower Quantitative Sensitive Check index index, high density lipoprotein-cholesterol and apo A-I levels in comparison with sex and aged-matched healthy controls. Persistence of these alterations through long periods of time in a chronic pathologic condition, as it is the case with CD, would constitute a high risk of developing atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.