High-density lipoprotein characteristics and coronary artery disease: a Mendelian randomization study

Background To assess whether genetically determined quantitative and qualitative HDL characteristics were independently associated with coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods We designed a two-sample multivariate Mendelian randomization study with available genome-wide association summary data. We i...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Prats Uribe, Albert, Sayols Baixeras, Sergi, Fernández Sanlés, Alba, Subirana, Isaac, Carreras-Torres, Robert, Vilahur, Gemma, Civeira, Fernando, Marrugat, Jaume, Fitó Colomer, Montserrat, Hernáez, Álvaro, Elosua Llanos, Roberto
Format: article
Publication Date:2020
Country:España
Institution:Universitat Ramon Llull (URL)
Repository:DAU Arxiu Digital de la Universitat Ramon Llull
OAI Identifier:oai:dau.url.edu:20.500.14342/3955
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14342/3955
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.metabol.2020.154351
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Lipoproteïnes de densitat alta
Sistema cardiovascular -- Malalties
Variables aleatòries
Aleatorització Mendeliana
Malalties coronàries
616.1
Description
Summary:Background To assess whether genetically determined quantitative and qualitative HDL characteristics were independently associated with coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods We designed a two-sample multivariate Mendelian randomization study with available genome-wide association summary data. We identified genetic variants associated with HDL cholesterol and apolipoprotein A-I levels, HDL size, particle levels, and lipid content to define our genetic instrumental variables in one sample (Kettunen et al. study, n = 24,925) and analyzed their association with CAD risk in a different study (CARDIoGRAMplusC4D, n = 184,305). We validated these results by defining our genetic variables in another database (METSIM, n = 8372) and studied their relationship with CAD in the CARDIoGRAMplusC4D dataset. To estimate the effect size of the associations of interest adjusted for other lipoprotein traits and minimize potential pleiotropy, we used the Multi-trait-based Conditional & Joint analysis. Results Genetically determined HDL cholesterol and apolipoprotein A-I levels were not associated with CAD. HDL mean diameter (β = 0.27 [95%CI = 0.19; 0.35]), cholesterol levels in very large HDLs (β = 0.29 [95%CI = 0.17; 0.40]), and triglyceride content in very large HDLs (β = 0.14 [95%CI = 0.040; 0.25]) were directly associated with CAD risk, whereas the cholesterol content in medium-sized HDLs (β = −0.076 [95%CI = -0.10; −0.052]) was inversely related to this risk. These results were validated in the METSIM-CARDIoGRAMplusC4D data. Conclusions Some qualitative HDL characteristics (related to size, particle distribution, and cholesterol and triglyceride content) are related to CAD risk while HDL cholesterol levels are not.