Serum cholesterol positively associated with oxidative DNA damage: a propensity score-matched analysis

Abstract

Oxidative DNA damage pathogenically links to some major diseases. This study aimed to comprehensively assess the association between serum total cholesterol (TC) and oxidative DNA damage based on propensity score matching (PSM) method. A total of 407 participants chronically exposed to arsenic via drinking water from China were enrolled. Oxidative DNA damage was determined with urinary 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG). Serum TC was classified into favourable TC (FTC, TC <5.18 mmol/L) and unfavourable TC (NFTC, TC ≥5.18 mmol/L) categories. Multivariable generalised linear regression model was applied to examine the association. Of 407 participants, 125 pairs with FTC and NFTC subjects were matched using PSM. Urinary 8-OHdG/creatinine levels in NFTC were significantly higher than those in FTC category (p = .002). As compared to the counterparts, additional adjusted log-transformed 8-OHdG/creatinine increase was observed in NFTC for unmatched (β = 0.12, p = .052) and matched (β = 0.17, p < .001) participants, respectively. We also detected obviously increased log-transformed urinary 8-OHdG/creatinine with per interquartile range raise of serum TC either in unmatched (β = 0.10, p = .007) or matched (β = 0.16, p = .003) subjects. In conclusion, serum TC was independently associated with oxidative DNA damage. Our findings provided new insights on the health promotion of lipids relevant to the early warning of diseases due to oxidative DNA damage.

Keywords:

• 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine
• oxidative DNA damage
• propensity score matching
• serum total cholesterol

Ethical approval

All participants in this study have been provided with written informed consent. The study design has been approved by the Ethics Committee of Wenzhou Medical University, Wen zhou, China.

Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge all of the study participants of this project. We wish to thank all of the dedication and hard work of the field team at the Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health and Management, Wenzhou Medical University.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was financially supported by science and technology plan project of Wenzhou, China (2018Y1248), the research of basic public welfare plan project of Zhejiang province of China (LGF19H260011), the initial scientific research fund (KYQD170301) and the major project of the eye hospital of Wenzhou medical university (YNZD201602).