Macrophage Cholesterol Efflux Downregulation is Not Associated with Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) Progression

• Main Authors: Marina Canyelles, Mireia Tondo, Jes S. Lindholt, David Santos, Irati Fernández-Alonso, David de Gonzalo-Calvo, Luis Miguel Blanco-Colio, Joan Carles Escolà-Gil, José Luís Martín-Ventura, Francisco Blanco-Vaca
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-04-01
• Series: Biomolecules
• Subjects: abdominal aortic aneurysm; cardiovascular disease; cholesterol efflux; HDL; apoA-I; aortic diameter
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2218-273X/10/4/662

Recent studies have raised the possibility of a role for lipoproteins, including high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLc), in abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). The study was conducted in plasmas from 39 large size AAA patients (aortic diameter > 50 mm), 81 small/medium size AAA patients (aortic diameter between 30 and 50 mm) and 38 control subjects (aortic diameter < 30 mm). We evaluated the potential of HDL-mediated macrophage cholesterol efflux (MCE) to predict AAA growth and/or the need for surgery. MCE was impaired in the large aortic diameter AAA group as compared with that in the small/medium size AAA group and the control group. However, no significant difference in HDL-mediated MCE capacity was observed in 3 different progression subgroups (classified according to growth rate < 1 mm per year, between 1 and 5 mm per year or >5 mm per year) in patients with small/medium size AAA. Moreover, no correlation was found between MCE capacity and the aneurysm growth rate. A multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed a significant association between lower MCE capacity with the need for surgery in all AAA patients. Nevertheless, the significance was lost when only small/medium size AAA patients were included. Our results suggest that MCE, a major HDL functional activity, is not involved in AAA progression.