Association between hypertriglyceridemia and protein oxidation and proinflammatory markers in normocholesterolemic and hypercholesterolemic individuals

Abstract Background Although hypercholesterolemia is a well-established risk factor for coronary heart disease, evidence suggests that increased triglyceride (TG) concentrations are also an independent risk factor. TG concentrations > 150 mg/dl are observed nearly twice as often in subjects with atherosclerosis. We assessed the association between hypertriglyceridemia and protein oxidation and proinflammatory markers in normocholesterolemic and hypercholesterolemic individuals. Methods We included 127 volunteers enrolled in Cruz Alta, RS, Brazil. The patients were stratified based on total cholesterol and TG concentrations for analysis of associations with inflammation (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein — hs-CRP), endothelial dysfunction (nitric oxide — NOx) and oxidative stress (advanced oxidation protein products — AOPPs; ischemia-modified albumin — IMA). Correlations between variables were determined and multiple regression analysis was employed to investigate whether some variables correlate with TG concentrations. Results Hypertriglyceridemia was related to oxidative stress and proinflammatory markers in individuals independent of total cholesterol concentrations. Moreover, the results indicate a stronger association of tested biomarkers with TG concentrations than with total cholesterol. The results indicate a positive correlation between oxidative stress and TG concentrations in the sera of hypercholesterolemia subjects. AOPPs and IMA concentrations were associated with the presence of hypertriglyceridemia in a manner that was independent of age, gender, hypertension and diabetes mellitus disease, smoking habits, sedentary lifestyle, BMI, waist circumference, LDL, HDL and total cholesterol concentrations. Conclusions We speculate that TG concentrations can reflect the enhancement of protein oxidation and proinflammation.