CLARA CELL PROTEIN CORRELATION WITH HYPERLIPIDEMIA

Serum levels of protein 1 (P1), a Clara cell secretory protein, in 746 health) subjects were measured and their correlations with different types of serum lipids and lipoproteins-that is, triglyceride (TG), tot al cholesterol (TCh), free cholesterol (FCh), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and apoproteins (apo) A-I, A-II , and B-were examined, P1 serum levels were examined for their correla tion with body mass index (BMI), and were compared for 47 obese, 70 no rmal, and 17 lean males. P1 serum levels in 69 patients with diabetes mellitus and 24 patients with atherosclerotic stenosis of the carotid artery or coronary artery were also compared to those in healthy contr ol subjects. P1 showed a significant positive correlation with TG, TCh , FCh, apo A-I, apo A-II, apo B, and BMI (r=0.93, 0.26, 0.42, 0.11, 0. 35, 0.58, and 0.20, respectively; p<0.0001 to 0.05), and an inverse co rrelation with HDL (r=-0.32; p<0.01). P1 values in obese men (mean+/-S D: 139.2+/-98.2 mu g/L) were significantly higher than those in normal (90.3+/-57.1) and lean ones (65.6+/-40.8) (p<0.01). In both diabetic and atherosclerotic patients, P1 serum levels did not significantly di ffer from those in healthy subjects, From these results, we conclude t he following: (1) the serum levels of P1 correlate significantly with those of lipids and lipoproteins; (2) P1 serum levels increase in the case of obesity.