Correlation of PCSK9 and Serum sdLDL Levels and Other Demographic and Laboratory Indicators in Healthy Individuals

Background and Objectives: Atherosclerosis is a type of cardiovascular disease (CVD), which is known as the most important cause of death in the world. In atherosclerosis, arteries get thicker due to the entry of lipids and become inflamed. Epidemiological studies have shown that in addition to demographic and laboratory factors (age, sex, cholesterol, smoking, hypertension, obesity, and diabetes), genetic factors are also associated with progression of atherosclerosis. LDL-C is one of the most important risk factors for cardiovascular disease. In this study, the relationship of PCSK9 levels with serum sdLDL-C levels and other variables, was investigated. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a total of 126 individuals (68 Men and 58 women), were studied. Serum PCSK9 concentration, was measured using quantitative sandwich ELISA; serum sdLDL-C levels were measured using precipitation method; and other laboratory parameters were measured by routine methods. Data were analyzed by statistical tests of Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Pearson linear regression, and t- tests. The significance level was considered p<0.05. Results: PCSK9 levels had a significant correlation with total cholesterol (r=0.3, p=0.001) and LDL-C (r=0.3, p=0.001). In addition, there was a significant correlation between sdLDL-C/LDL-C and sdLDL-C (r=0.875, p<0.001); however, PCSK9 did not correlate with sdLDL-C and other parameters. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that PCSK9 variations are associated with lipid profile, but although sdLDL-C level is associated with lipid profile, it is not affected by PCSK9.