Postprandial Clearance of Oxidized Low-Density Lipoprotein in Patients with Stroke Due to Atherosclerosis.

Background: Oxidized low-density lipoprotein (OxLDL) is a contributor to atherosclerosis development. OxLDL formation increases in the postprandial state due to oxidative stress in subjects with coronary artery disease (CAD) and diabetes, but has not been studied in patients with atherosclerotic stroke. We aimed to determine differences in postprandial OxLDL in patients with atherosclerotic stroke compared to stroke from other causes.

Methods: Patients with ischemic stroke but no history of CAD (n = 42) were enrolled and categorized by stroke subtype as extracranial atherosclerosis (EC), n = 12; intracranial atherosclerosis (IC), n = 16; or other cause, n = 14. After fasting overnight, subjects consumed a standardized fat meal. OxLDL levels were measured at t = 0 and t = 4 hours postprandial using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Comparisons between the mean changes in OxLDL between the groups were performed using the analysis of variance procedure.

Results: The IC group had the highest mean baseline level of OxLDL and the greatest decline during the postprandial period. There was a trend toward a difference in the mean change in OxLDL between the 3 groups (P = .0553). Subjects with atherosclerotic stroke (EC and IC groups) had higher fasting OxLDL and had a significant decline in OxLDL compared to those with stroke from other causes (P = .0164).

Conclusions: Subjects with stroke due to atherosclerosis, particularly intracranially, demonstrated high fasting OxLDL and a decline in OxLDL during the postprandial period. This decline in OxLDL may indicate an accelerated clearance of OxLDL resulting from meal-induced oxidative stress.