Association between serum sulfatide and carotid intima media thickness in patients with familial hypercholesterolemia

Abstract

There is a positive association between sulfatide and atherosclerosis in an animal model for human familial hypercholesterolemia. Carotid intima–media thickness (IMT) is thought to be a marker of atherosclerosis in humans. We investigated the relationship between sulfatide and carotid IMT in heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) patients. Thirty-five genetically-verified heterozygous patients with FH and 34 healthy controls were recruited into our study. We measured serum sulfatide levels, the carotid IMT, and conventional cardiovascular risk factors including obesity parameters, blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, and lipid profiles. Subjects with heterozygous FH had significantly elevated serum sulfatide, elevated total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and increased carotid IMT compared with control subjects. In patients with FH, univariate analysis showed that serum sulfatide was significantly correlated with carotid IMT. Multiple linear regression analysis indicated that serum sulfatide was the only independent predictor of carotid IMT in patients with FH. Patients with heterozygous FH had significantly higher carotid IMT and the level of serum sulfatide was independently associated with atherosclerotic progression. (R: 0.720, R2: 0.503, p < 0.001).

Circulating Sulfatide, A Novel Biomarker for ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction

“…Meanwhile severe blood lipid loss may partly contribute to low serum sulfatides in patients. However, in patients with atherosclerosis, we and other studies found a positive correlation between serum sulfatide levels and human atherosclerotic lesions formation 12, 20) . Current study suggested that sulfatides also are involved in the late stage of severe coronary atherosclerosis, even the prognosis of STEMI.…”

“…Studies have also demonstrated that sulfatides specifically bind to extracellular matrix components, such as thrombospondin, laminin, and von Willebrand factor 19) . The release of sulfatides from the surface of the neutrophils and in combination with an increased expression of P-selectin on the surface of platelets led to the accumulation of cytokines and the extracellular matrix in vessel lesions, resulting in increased vascular wall thickness 20, 21) .…”

Serum Sulfatide Levels as a Biomarker of Active Glomerular Lesion in Patients with Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody-Associated Vasculitis: A Single Center Pilot Study

“…These results suggest that serum sulfatides in the lipoprotein particles may prevent coagulation/thrombogenesis by interrupting the sulfatides-P-selectin interaction in platelet adhesion and aggregation [18]. Therefore, we had focused on the association between serum sulfatide levels and cardiovascular disease (CVD)-related vascular thrombosis in previous studies [19][20][21]. We reported a significant association between serum sulfatide levels and CVDs in hemodialysis patients who were at high risk of developing CVDs [19].…”

High Serum Concentration of Sulfatide is a Risk Factor for Restenosis in Patients with Coronary Heart Disease after Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

“…Leukocytes then adhere firmly to the vessel surface through leukocyte Mac-1 via direct attachment to platelet receptors [17]. It has been known that sulfatides are expressed on the membrane surface of, and are also excreted by, neutrophils [18,19]. Since neutrophil activation occurred after stent deployment [20], lots of sulfatides were released from activated neutrophils.…”