Correlation between plasma lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 and peripheral arterial disease.

Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) is a recently identified and potentially useful plasma biomarker for cardiovascular diseases. However, its role in peripheral arterial disease (PAD) remains unclear. The objective of this study was to assess the independent association of Lp-PLA2 and other inflammatory markers with the reduced ankle-brachial blood pressure index (ABI), a marker of PAD. We performed a cross-sectional study in 982 individuals aged ≥40 years who were recruited from the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University. PAD was defined as an ABI <0.9 in at least one leg. The individuals were further divided into two groups, 145 with PAD and 837 without PAD. Following adjustment for traditional cardiovascular risk factors, the odds ratios of PAD when comparing the highest to the lowest quartiles were 3.24 (95% CI, 1.68-3.94) for Lp-PLA2, 2.14 (95% CI, 1.07-3.11) for homocysteine, 1.93 (95% CI, 1.02-4.01) for fibrinogen, 2.26 (95% CI, 1.32-5.74) for apolipoprotein B and 1.3 (95% CI, 0.75-2.49) for high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP). When Lp-PLA2 and inflammatory markers were simultaneously included in the full model, the corresponding odds ratios were 1.81 (95% CI, 1.14-3.68) for Lp-PLA2, 1.15 (95% CI, 0.49-2.69) for homocysteine, 1.21 (95% CI, 0.88-5.57) for fibrinogen, 0.98 (95% CI, 0.51-3.85) for apolipoprotein B and 1.23 (95% CI, 1.12-3.51) for hsCRP. Lp-PLA2 levels were significantly and independently associated with PAD following adjustment for other inflammatory markers. These findings reflect the potential role of circulating Lp-PLA2 as a marker of atherosclerosis.