Mannose Binding Lectin and C3 Serum Levels in Coronary Artery Disease: A Cross-Sectional Study

ABSTRACT

Background

The process of tissue injury in coronary artery disease (CAD) has been associated with activation of the complement system, partly due to the action of mannose-binding lectin (MBL) and C3, which are expressed in atherosclerotic lesions.

Objective

The aim of this study was to evaluate the serum levels of MBL and C3 in patients with CAD and to compare them with healthy controls. Additionally, we aim to assess the correlation between MBL and C3 levels and cardiometabolic parameters.

Methods

MBL and C3 serum concentration were determined by ELISA and immunoturbidimetry, respectively, in up to 119 patients undergoing coronary angiography for CAD evaluation, comprising 48 individuals diagnosed with acute myocardial infarction (MI) and 71 without MI. A total of 93 paired healthy controls were included in the study.

Results

Individuals with CAD had MBL serum concentration higher than controls (p = .002), regardless of the presence of MI (p = .006). In addition, high concentration of MBL (>2000 ng/mL) was more frequent in patients with CAD (p = .007; OR = 2.6; 95% CI = 1.3–5.1). C3 levels were not significantly associated with any of the patient groups but were positively correlated with cardiometabolic parameters such as body mass index (BMI) and triglycerides levels.

Conclusions

Higher concentrations of MBL were found to be associated with CAD, whereas C3 levels were found to be associated with cardiovascular risk factors.

KEYWORDS:

• C3
• complement system
• coronary artery disease
• mannose-binding lectin
• MBL

Acknowledgments

We thank nurses from the Department of Hemodynamics at Clinical Hospital of Federal University of Paraná for the support on CAD patient’s recruitment. We also thank Lorena Bavia for measuring MBL serum levels in patients; and Vanessa Picceli for helping with blood sample separation.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Author Contributions

IJMR, JMR, KCFL and FAA contributed with conception and design of the study; LS, ARA and RN executed laboratory procedures; FAA and KCFL performed the statistical analysis; FAA, JMR and KCFL wrote the original draft of the manuscript. All authors contributed to manuscript revision and approved the submitted version.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by research grants from Conselho Nacional de DesenvolvimentoCientífico e Tecnológico to IM-R (CNPq).