Apoprotein(a)

Background Elevated lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)), a low-density lipoprotein-like particle bound to the polymorphic apolipoprotein(a) (apo(a)), may be causal for cardiovascular disease. However, the metabolism of Lp(a) in humans is poorly understood. Methods and Results We investigated the kinetics of Lp(a)-apo(a) and low-density lipoprotein-apoB-100 in 63 normolipidemic men. The fractional catabolic rate ( FCR ) and production rate PR ) were studied. Plasma apo(a) concentration was significantly and inversely associated with apo(a) isoform size ( r=-0.536, P0.05) in subjects with smaller apo(a) isoform size. In contrast, both apo(a) PR and FCR were significantly associated with plasma apo(a) concentrations ( r=0.744 and -0.389, respectively, P<0.05) in subjects with larger isoforms. In multiple regression analysis, apo(a) PR and apo(a) isoform size were significant predictors of plasma apo(a) concentration independent of low-density lipoprotein-apoB-100 FCR and background therapy with atorvastatin and evolocumab. Conclusions In normolipidemic men, the plasma Lp(a) concentration is predominantly determined by the rate of production of Lp(a) particles, irrespective of apo(a) isoform size and background therapy with a statin and a proprotein convertase subtilisin-kexin type 9 inhibitor. Our findings underscore the importance of therapeutic targeting of the hepatic synthesis and secretion of Lp(a) particles. Lp(a) particle catabolism may only play a modest role in determining Lp(a) concentration in subjects with larger apo(a) isoform size. Clinical Trial Registration URL : http://www.clinicaltrials.gov . Unique identifier: NCT 02189837.

BackgroundThe concentrations of the highly atherogenic lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] are mainly genetically determined by the LPA gene locus. However, up to 70% of the coding sequence is located in the complex so-called kringle IV type 2 (KIV-2) copy number variation, a region hardly accessible by common genotyping and sequencing technologies. Despite its size, little is known about genetic variants in this complex region. The R21X variant is a functional variant located in this region, but it has never been analyzed in large cohorts.MethodsWe typed R21X in 10,910 individuals from three European populations using a newly developed high-throughput allele-specific qPCR assay. R21X allelic location was determined by separating the LPA alleles using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and typing them separately. Using GWAS data, we identified a proxy SNP located outside of the KIV-2. Linkage disequilibrium was determined both statistically and by long-range haplotyping using PFGE. Worldwide frequencies were determined by reanalyzing the sequencing data of the 1000 Genomes Project with a dedicated pipeline.ResultsR21X carriers (frequency 0.016-0.021) showed significantly lower mean Lp(a) concentrations (- 11.7 mg/dL [- 15.5; - 7.82], p = 3.39e-32). The variant is located mostly on medium-sized LPA alleles. In the 1000 Genome data, R21X mostly occurs in Europeans and South Asians, is absent in Africans, and shows varying frequencies in South American populations (0 to 0.022). Of note, the best proxy SNP was another LPA null mutation (rs41272114, D' = 0.958, R2 = 0.281). D' was very high in all 1000G populations (0.986-0.996), although rs41272114 frequency varies considerably (0-0.182). Co-localization of both null mutations on the same allele was confirmed by PFGE-based long-range haplotyping.ConclusionsWe performed the largest epidemiological study on an LPA KIV-2 variant so far, showing that it is possible to assess LPA KIV-2 mutations on a large scale. Surprisingly, in all analyzed populations, R21X was located on the same haplotype as the splice mutation rs41272114, creating "double-null" LPA alleles. Despite being a nonsense variant, the R21X status does not provide additional information beyond the rs41272114 genotype. This has important implications for studies using LPA loss-of-function mutations as genetic instruments and emphasizes the complexity of LPA genetics.

ObjectiveApolipoprotein (a)/lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)), a major carrier of oxidized phospholipids, and α7-nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7-nAChR) may play an important role in the development of coronary artery spasm (CAS). In CAS, the association between Lp(a) and the α7-nAChR-modulated inflammatory macrophage polarization and activation and smooth muscle cell dysfunction remains unknown.MethodsWe investigated the relevance of Lp(a)/α7-nAChR signaling in patient monocyte-derived macrophages and human coronary artery smooth muscle cells (HCASMCs) using expression profile correlation analyses, fluorescence-assisted cell sorting flow cytometry, immunoblotting, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, and clinicopathological analyses.ResultsThere are increased serum Lp(a) levels (3.98-fold, p = 0.011) and macrophage population (3.30-fold, p = 0.013) in patients with CAS compared with patients without CAS. Serum Lp(a) level was positively correlated with high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (r 2 = 0.48, p r 2 = 0.38, p = 0.03), and α7-nAChR (r 2 = 0.45, p α7-nAChR mRNA expression (p p in vitro and ex vivo. Lp(a) but not LDL preferentially induced CD80+ macrophage (M1) polarization and reduced the inducible nitric oxide synthase expression and the subsequent NO production. While shRNA-mediated loss of α7-nAChR function reduced the Lp(a)-induced CD80+ macrophage pool, both shRNA and anti-IL-6 receptor tocilizumab suppressed Lp(a)-upregulated α7-nAChR, p-p38 MAPK, IL-6, and RhoA-GTP protein expression levels in cultures of patient monocyte-derived macrophages and HCASMCs.ConclusionsElevated Lp(a) levels upregulate α7-nAChR/IL-6/p38 MAPK signaling in macrophages of CAS patients and HCASMC, suggesting that Lp(a)-triggered inflammation mediates CAS through α7-nAChR/p38 MAPK/IL-6/RhoA-GTP signaling induction, macrophage M1 polarization, and HCASMC activation.

Lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] carries cholesterol [Lp(a)-C], yet the cholesterol composition of Lp(a) particles and its relationship to apolipoprotein(a) [apo(a)] isoform size remains incompletely defined. Prior estimates of Lp(a)-C have relied on fixed-percentage assumptions rather than direct biochemical measurement, limiting insight into particle-level heterogeneity. We developed a direct immunocapture assay using the monoclonal antibody LPA4 to quantify Lp(a)-C in plasma and applied it to 94 individuals spanning a wide range of Lp(a) concentrations and apo(a) isoform sizes. Lp(a)-C was strongly correlated with Lp(a) molar concentration (R = 0.925, P 24 KIV) showed lower Lp(a)-C (3.0 ± 1.5 mg/dl) (P < 0.001), normalized to plasma volume (not particle concentration). In contrast, particle-normalized metrics demonstrated the opposite pattern: both the Lp(a)-C/Lp(a) molar ratio and Lp(a)-C/Lp(a)-apoB mass ratio increased progressively with apo(a) isoform size (P < 0.001), indicating greater cholesterol content per Lp(a) particle among larger isoforms. These findings demonstrate a dissociation between circulating Lp(a)-C concentration, which primarily reflects particle number, and cholesterol content per particle, which varies systematically with apo(a) isoform size. Direct measurement of Lp(a)-C identifies compositional heterogeneity not captured by conventional estimation methods and may provide a framework for future studies of isoform-dependent variation in Lp(a) structure and function.