High-sensitivity C-reactive protein and carotid intima media thickness as markers of subclinical inflammation and atherosclerosis in pediatric patients with hypercholesterolemia

Blinc, Lana (author), Mlinarič, Matej (author), Battelino, Tadej (author), Grošelj, Urh (author)

Hypercholesterolemia is a major cause of atherosclerosis development and premature cardiovascular disease (CVD). It leads to inflammation, which further accelerates atherosclerosis progression. Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by elevated serum LDL-c from birth, due to a disease-causing variant in one of the causative genes (LDLR, APOB, PCSK9). In polygenic hypercholesterolemia (PH), the disease-causing genetic variant is absent; it is likely the cumulative result of multiple single nucleotide polymorphisms in LDL metabolism-related genes and other factors, such as lifestyle and environment. In high risk groups, such as patients with FH, an effective primary prevention of CVD must begin in childhood. High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and carotid intima media thickness (cIMT) are two potential minimally invasive correlates of inflammation and subclinical atherosclerosis progression. hsCRP and cIMT have been shown to be significantly increased in patients with FH and PH relative to healthy controls, with some studies yielding conflicting results. In this review, we aim to summarize current knowledge and recent findings regarding the applicability of hsCRP and cIMT as markers of low-grade inflammation and subclinical atherosclerosis, focusing especially on children and adolescents with hypercholesterolemia.

• Language: English
• Keywords: familial hypercholesterolemia, polygenic hypercholesterolemia, inflammation, atherosclerosis, carotid intima media thickness, cIMT, C-reactive protein, hsCRP
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.02 - Review Article
• Organization: MF - Faculty of Medicine
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2020
• Number of pages: 14 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 25, iss. 21, art. 5118
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-134722
• UDC: 616.053.2
• ISSN on article: 1420-3049
• DOI: 10.3390/molecules25215118
• COBISS.SI-ID: 37628419
• Publication date in RUL: 27.01.2022

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Molecules
• Shortened title: Molecules
• Publisher: MDPI
• ISSN: 1420-3049
• COBISS.SI-ID: 18462981

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.
• Licensing start date: 04.11.2020

Projects

• Funder: ARRS - Slovenian Research Agency
• Project number: J3-2356
• Name: Izražanje in funkcionalna analiza nekodirajočih RNA pri parkinsonovi bolezni

• Funder: ARRS - Slovenian Research Agency
• Project number: P3-0343
• Name: Etiologija, zgodnje odkrivanje in zdravljenje bolezni pri otrocih in mladostnikih