Relation between the plasma levels of LDL-cholesterol and the expression of the early marker of inflammation long pentraxin PTX3 and the stress response gene p66(ShcA) in pacemaker-implanted patients

Abstract Our goal was to set up a pilot study to explore the possible relation between the expression of p66^(ShcA) and PTX3, two emerging regulators of stress response and inflammation processes, respectively, and the circulating levels of LDL-cholesterol (LDL), a factor implicated in the development of inflammation and oxidative-stress associated diseases such as atherosclerosis. p66^(ShcA) and PTX3 mRNA contents were determined locally, in subcutaneous adipose specimens of non-diabetic pacemakerimplanted patients, and systemically in the circulating white blood cells (WBC) obtained from the same patients. The mean of the circulating LDL levels (125 mg/dl) was chosen as a threshold to identify two groups here considered to have high (>125 mg/dl) and low (<125 mg/dl) LDL plasma levels. Our data show that PTX3 and p66^(ShcA) mRNA levels are significantly more elevated in WBCs and in adipose tissue samples of patients with high levels of LDL compared to those with low levels. Additionally, a multiple regression analysis indicates that among LDL, TG, HDL, total cholesterol, CRP, creatinine and glucose levels, the only variable significantly affecting p66^(ShcA) and PTX3 mRNA expressions either in adipose tissue or in WBCs is represented by the circulating amount of LDL. In conclusion, our results suggest a potential link between the level of LDL and the expression of two genes involved in inflammation/oxidative stress pathways, i.e., p66^(ShcA) and PTX3, thus contributing to further understand the mechanism through which LDL may mediate the pathogenesis of inflammation and oxidative-stress associated diseases such as atherosclerosis. *These two authors contributed equally to this paper