Open AccessA Pro-Atherogenic HDL Profile in Coronary Heart Disease Patients: An iTRAQ Labelling-Based Proteomic Approach
Author(s) -
Yan Liu,
Dongxue Wang,
Hong Liu,
Xiaoxing Zhang,
Hui Zhao,
Hua Liu,
Ping Xu,
Yishi Li
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0098368
Subject(s) - proteome , medicine , lipid metabolism , population , lipoprotein , proteomics , high density lipoprotein , endocrinology , cholesterol , blood proteins , coronary heart disease , biology , bioinformatics , biochemistry , environmental health , gene
Objectives This study aims to compare the protein composition of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) particles in coronary heart disease (CHD) patients and controls by proteomic methods. Background HDL has been reported to exert pro-atherogenic properties in CHD patients. Accumulating evidence indicates that HDL composition, rather than the HDL-C level, determines its functions. The changes in HDL composition involved in the conversion of anti-atherogenic to pro-atherogenic properties in CHD patients are currently unknown. Methods and Results iTRAQ combined with nanoLC-MS/MS was performed to obtain a differential expression profile of the HDL pooled samples of the male age-matched CHD patients and controls (n = 10/group). Of the 196 proteins identified in the examined HDL, 12 were differentially expressed between the CHD patients and the controls, including five up-regulated proteins and seven down-regulated proteins. Using GO analysis, we determined that the up-regulated proteins were mostly involved in inflammatory reactions, displaying a potential pro-atherogenic profile. In contrast, the down-regulated proteins were mostly involved in lipid metabolism processes, displaying anti-atherogenic properties. To confirm the proteomic results, serum amyloid A (SAA) and apoC-I were selected and quantified by ELISA, in the same population as the proteomic analysis, as well as another independent population (n = 120/group). Consistent with the proteomic results, the amount of SAA was significantly increased, and apoC-I was significantly decreased in the HDL particles of CHD patients compared with those of controls ( P <0.05). Conclusions Our study shows that the HDL proteome changes to a pro-atherogenic profile in CHD patients, which might compromise the protective effects of HDL. Proteomic analysis of HDL composition may provide more relevant information regarding their functional properties than steady-state HDL-C levels.