Elevated soluble LOX-1 predicts risk of first-time myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND

There is an unmet clinical need for novel therapies addressing the residual risk in patients receiving guideline preventive therapy for coronary heart disease. Experimental studies have identified a pro-atherogenic role of the oxidized LDL receptor LOX-1. We investigated the association between circulating soluble LOX-1 (sLOX-1) and the risk for development of myocardial infarction.

METHODS

The study subjects ( = 4658) were part of the Malmö Diet and Cancer study. The baseline investigation was carried out 1991-1994 and the incidence of cardiovascular events monitored through national registers during a of 19.5 ± 4.9 years follow-up. sLOX-1 and other biomarkers were analyzed by proximity extension assay and ELISA in baseline plasma.

RESULTS

Subjects in the highest tertile of sLOX-1 had an increased risk of myocardial infarction (hazard ratio (95% CI) 1.76 (1.40-2.21) as compared with those in the lowest tertile. The presence of cardiovascular risk factors was related to elevated sLOX-1, but the association between sLOX-1 and risk of myocardial infarction remained significant when adjusting for risk factors.

CONCLUSIONS

In this prospective population study we found an association between elevated sLOX-1, the presence of carotid disease and the risk for first-time myocardial infarction. Taken together with previous experimental findings of a pro-atherogenic role of LOX-1, this observation supports LOX-1 inhibition as a possible target for prevention of myocardial infarction.