Relationship between Circulating PCSK9 and Markers of Subclinical Atherosclerosis—The IMPROVE Study
Daniela Coggi,
Beatrice Frigerio,
Alice Bonomi,
Massimiliano Ruscica,
Nicola Ferri,
Daniela Sansaro,
Alessio Ravani,
Palma Ferrante,
Manuela Damigella,
Fabrizio Veglia,
Nicolò Capra,
Maria Giovanna Lupo,
Chiara Macchi,
Kai Savonen,
Angela Silveira,
Sudhir Kurl,
Philippe Giral,
Matteo Pirro,
Rona Juliette Strawbridge,
Bruna Gigante,
Andries Jan Smit,
Elena Tremoli,
Mauro Amato,
Damiano Baldassarre,
on behalf of the IMPROVE Study Group
Affiliations
Daniela Coggi
Centro Cardiologico Monzino, IRCCS, 20138 Milan, Italy
Beatrice Frigerio
Centro Cardiologico Monzino, IRCCS, 20138 Milan, Italy
Alice Bonomi
Centro Cardiologico Monzino, IRCCS, 20138 Milan, Italy
Massimiliano Ruscica
Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy
Nicola Ferri
Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco, Università degli Studi di Padova, 35122 Padova, Italy
Daniela Sansaro
Centro Cardiologico Monzino, IRCCS, 20138 Milan, Italy
Alessio Ravani
Centro Cardiologico Monzino, IRCCS, 20138 Milan, Italy
Palma Ferrante
Centro Cardiologico Monzino, IRCCS, 20138 Milan, Italy
Manuela Damigella
Centro Cardiologico Monzino, IRCCS, 20138 Milan, Italy
Fabrizio Veglia
Centro Cardiologico Monzino, IRCCS, 20138 Milan, Italy
Nicolò Capra
Centro Cardiologico Monzino, IRCCS, 20138 Milan, Italy
Maria Giovanna Lupo
Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco, Università degli Studi di Padova, 35122 Padova, Italy
Chiara Macchi
Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy
Kai Savonen
Foundation for Research in Health Exercise and Nutrition, Kuopio Research Institute of Exercise Medicine, 70100 Kuopio, Finland
Angela Silveira
Department of Medicine Solna, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden
Sudhir Kurl
Kuopio Campus, Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, University of Eastern Finland, 70210 Kuopio, Finland
Philippe Giral
Assistance Publique-Hopitaux de Paris, Service Endocrinologie-Metabolisme, Groupe Hôspitalier Pitie-Salpetriere, Unités de Prévention Cardiovasculaire, 75651 Paris, France
Matteo Pirro
Internal Medicine, Angiology and Arteriosclerosis Diseases, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, 06129 Perugia, Italy
Rona Juliette Strawbridge
Department of Medicine Solna, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden
Bruna Gigante
Department of Medicine Solna, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden
Andries Jan Smit
Department of Medicine, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen and Isala Clinics Zwolle, 9700 RB Groningen, The Netherlands
Elena Tremoli
Maria Cecilia Hospital, 48033 Cotignola, Italy
Mauro Amato
Centro Cardiologico Monzino, IRCCS, 20138 Milan, Italy
Damiano Baldassarre
Centro Cardiologico Monzino, IRCCS, 20138 Milan, Italy
(1) Background and purpose: circulating proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) is one of the key regulators of cholesterol metabolism. Despite this, its role as a player in atherosclerosis development is still matter of debate. Here, we investigated the relationships between this protein and several markers of subclinical atherosclerosis. (2) Methods: the IMPROVE study enrolled 3703 European subjects (54–79 years; 48% men; with ≥3 vascular risk factors), asymptomatic for cardiovascular diseases. PCSK9 levels were measured by ELISA. B-mode ultrasound was used to measure markers of carotid subclinical atherosclerosis. (3) Results: in the crude analysis, PCSK9 levels were associated with several baseline measures of carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) (all p p = 0.01); with inter-adventitia common carotid artery diameter (ICCAD) (p p < 0.0001). However, after adjustment for age, sex, latitude, and pharmacological treatment, all the afore-mentioned correlations were no longer statistically significant. The lack of correlation was also observed after stratification for sex, latitude, and pharmacological treatments. (4) Conclusions: in subjects who are asymptomatic for cardiovascular diseases, PCSK9 plasma levels do not correlate with vascular damage and/or subclinical atherosclerosis of extracranial carotid arteries.
