Postprandial Changes in Chemokines Related to Early Atherosclerotic Processes in Familial Hypercholesterolemic Subjects: A Preliminary Study.

Background And Aims: Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is associated with higher levels of inflammatory mediators such as chemokines, which contribute to an increased risk of premature atherosclerosis in these patients. We studied the response of chemokines related to early atherosclerotic processes during an oral unsaturated fat load test (OFLT) in patients with heterozygous FH and compared this response to normolipidemic and normoglycemic subjects.

Methods: Blood samples were taken from 12 FH patients and 20 healthy controls with a similar age, gender distribution, and body mass index. Plasma chemokine levels were determined in both groups in a fasting state and at 2, 4, 6, and 8 h after an OFLT using human cytokine multiplex kits (Linco) and a Luminex LABScan™100 system.

Results: In the fasting state MIP-1β, MIP-1α, IP-10, IFN-γ, MCP-1, and IL-8 were significantly increased in the FH group compared to the healthy controls (p <0.05). In addition, a significant decrease in postprandial chemokine plasma values were found in the FH group compared to fasting values after the OFLT. In normolipidemic nondiabetic controls no significant changes were found in the postprandial state.

Conclusions: There was a postprandial decrease in chemokines related to early atherosclerotic processes after an OFLT in FH patients. These results confirm the influence of dietary patterns in this group of patients.