Soluble lectin-like oxidized low density lipoprotein receptor-1 in metabolic syndrome

Background: Serum levels of soluble lectin-like oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor-1 (sLOX-1) reflect increases in LOX-1 receptor expression associated with inflammation and metabolic disorders. Objectives: To examine sLOX-1 levels in metabolic syndrome and association of sLOX-1 with classical risk factors, and with metabolic syndrome, a clustering of metabolic disorders associated with cardiovascular risk factors. Methods: We selected 148 serum samples from patient participants with metabolic syndrome and 206 samples from patients with non-metabolic syndrome as controls, using the modified National Cholesterol Educational Program Adult Treatment Panel TIT (NCEP-ATP 111) criteria. Results: Levels of sLOX-1 were increased significantly in participants with metabolic syndrome (P < 0.001). Serum sLOX-1 was positively associated with body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose, triglyceride, and total cholesterol, but negatively associated with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Analysis of serum sLOX-1 for metabolic syndrome showed 99.03% specificity and 100% sensitivity. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.998 (95%CI 0.996-1.001,P < 0.001). A univariate analysis showed sLOX-1 was significantly correlated with metabolic syndrome, but was not after adjustment for sex, age, blood pressure, and BMI. Multivariate regression analysis found that being overweight (82.3; 95%CI 10.7-631.9), hyperglycemia (1.1; 95%CI 1.1-1.2), and hypertriglyceridemia (1.1; 95%CI 1.0-1.1) were significantly correlated with metabolic syndrome. HDL cholesterol was a protective factor (0.96; 95%CI: 0.93-0.99). Conclusions: Serum sLOX-1 is a suitable biomarker for diagnosis of metabolic syndrome. However, univariate and multivariate analysis suggested that sLOX-1 may be a modulating factor, and hot an independent risk factor.