Soluble P-selectin and proinflammatory cytokines in patients with polygenic type IIa hypercholesterolemia

Plasma soluble P-selectin (sP-selectin), beta-thromboglobulin (beta-TG), vo n Willebrand Factor (vWF), prothrombin factor 1+2 (F1+2), IL-6 and IL-1 bet a levels were analyzed in 35 consecutive patients with polygenic type IIa h ypercholesterolemia (HC) and 35 age- and sex-matched healthy subjects. sP-s electin (p < 0.005), beta-TG (p < 0.05) and IL-1 beta (p < 0.02) levels wer e higher in HC patients than healthy subjects whereas no significant differ ence was observed for vWF. sP-selectin directly correlated with beta-TG (p < 0.05) and IL-1 beta levels (p < 0.005), but not with the other variables analyzed. A direct correlation was observed between F1+2 and IL-6 (p < 0.05 ), total cholesterol (p < 0.05) or LDL cholesterol (p < 0.05). We conclude that HC is associated with an increase of plasma sP-selectin levels, and th at sP-selectin may be considered as a marker of in vivo platelet activation in type IIa polygenic HC. The correlations observed among the variables an alyzed in the study suggest that proinflammatory cytokines might play a rol e in the prothrombotic state often associated with HC. Copyright (C) 2000 S . Karger AG, Basel.