Alterations of Biochemical Indices in Pathogenesis of Atherosclerosis

Alterations of Biochemical Indices in Pathogenesis of Atherosclerosis

Pranciška Montvilienė, Regina Budrionienė

Background. Atherosclerosis is the main cause of cardiovascular diseases. In the past decade atherosclerosis has been defined as a chronic inflammatory pro­cess. The aim of this work was to make an overview of the epidemiology of athero­sclerosis; explore changes in the concen­tration of the biochemical parameters of atherosclerosis such as total cholesterol (T-Ch), low density lipoprotein choles­terol (LDL-Ch), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-Ch), and triacylglycerol (TAG) and on inflammation parameter C-reactive protein (CRP) in the blood se­rum of healthy and ill people, and assess the role of those factors in the pathogene­sis of atherosclerosis.

Objective. The purpose of this study was to assess and compare changes in the concentration of the biochemical parame­ters of atherosclerosis and C-reactive protein in three age groups of relatively healthy people of mixed gender and two age groups of people diagnosed with myo­cardial infarction; to identify differences in the changes of the parameters of ath­erosclerosis in the same age groups of people who are relatively healthy and those diagnosed with myocardial infarc­tion; and to assess the import ance of the parameters of atherosclerosis for the early diagnosis of atherosclerosis.

Material and methods. For the early diagnosis of atherosclerosis, the blood se­rum of 100 healthy people and 38 people di­agnosed with myocardial infarction was tested for T-Ch, HDL-Ch, LDL-Ch, TAG, and CRP. The entire test group was divided into three age groups: group I (31-40 years of age), group II (41-50 years of age), and group III (51-60 years of age). T-Ch and HDL-Ch was tested using ChOD-PAP method, TAG was tested by using a GOD-PAP method, the concentration of LDL-Ch was calculated directly by ana­lyzer, and CRP was tested by applytng an immunometric method.

Results and conclusions. The results of the research demonstrated that there was an increased concentration of T-Ch in the blood serum of relatively healthy peo­ple in the groups 41-50 years of age and 51-60 years of age, that an increased con­centration of TAG was observed in all age groups, and that HDL-Ch and LDL-Ch in all age groups was normal. An increased concentration of T-Ch and LDL-Ch was identified for a larger number of women in all age groups, and an increased concen­tration of TAG was identified predomt - nantly in men in the groups 31-40 years of age and 41-50 years of age and in women in the group 51-60 years of age. An increased concentration of CRP was identified in the blood serum of all rela­tively healthy men and women, whereas the concentration of HDL-Ch was nor­mal. In the groups 41-50 years of age and 51-60 years of age diagnosed with myo­cardial infarction, concentrations of T-Ch and TAG in blood serum exceeded the norm, and HDL-Ch and LDL-Ch were normal. CRP concentration in both age groups also exceeded the norm. It was identified that in the group 41-50 years of age diagnosed with myocardial infarc­tion, the concentration of T-Ch was sta­tistically reliably higher than that of the same age group of relatively healthy peo­ple and that in the group 51-60 years of age, the concentration of T-Ch and TAG were statistically reliably higher in those diagnosed with myocardial infarction. Concentration of CRP in both age groups was statistically reliably higher in the blood serum of those diagnosed with myo­cardial infarction. T-Ch, LDL-Ch and TAG indicators and CRP concentration proved to be most informative in the early diagnosis of atherosclerosis.

Keywords: atherosclerosis, total choles­terol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol, high den sity li po pro tein cho les terol, triacylglycerol, C-reactive protein.