Carotid Intima-media Thickness, Paraoxonase-1 Gene Polymorphism, Inflammation and Oxidation Status in Children with Family History of Premature Cardiovascular Diseases

Aims: Paraoxonase-1 (PON-1) gene polymorphisms and carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) in adults have been associated to increased incidence of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Possible relation of cIMT to PON-1 polymorphisms and to markers of inflammation and oxidation, in children with family history of premature CVD, was investigated.

Place of the Study: Laboratory for Lipids and Cardiovascular Disease Prevention, 2nd Pediatric Department, AHEPA University Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.

Methodology: Eighty four healthy children of normal BMI, were recruited; 42 with positive family history of premature CVD, median age 10 (7-15) years old (study group) and 42 age- and gender-matched controls. Levels of lipid profile parameters, high sensitivity CRP (hsCRP) and oxidized LDL (oxLDL) were determined. cIMT was measured by ultrasounds and PON-1 gene polymorphisms, Q192R and L55M, were investigated using standard PCR-RFLP.

Results: Median cIMT was higher in study group than in controls [0.45 (0.30-0.65) vs 0.4 (0.30-0.60)]. Only ApoA-I presented significant difference between the three subgroups with different PON-1 SNP of the L55M polymorphism (P=.03). Regression analysis showed that there was no statistically significant dependence of cIMT on age, lipid profile parameters or markers of inflammation and oxidation.

Conclusion: Family history of premature CVD and PON-1 gene polymorphism are not related with significant differences in cIMT in children. Inflammation and oxidation do not markedly affect cIMT in children with family history of premature CVD.