Plasma and Erythrocyte Membrane Plasmalogens in Patients with Coronary Heart Diseases Undergoing Percutaneous Intervention

Aims: Plasmalogens are unique phospholipid of biological membrane and is considered to play a potent role of intrinsic antioxidant. Atherosclerosis is associated with oxidative stress, but the correlation between plasmalogens and atherosclerosis is debatable. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the plasma and erythrocyte membrane phospholipids profile in patients with coronary heart diseases (CHD) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Place and Duration of the Study: Vascular laboratory of Heart Center, Kyushu University Hospital, Fukuoka, Japan, from February to August 2016.

Methodology: The plasma concentrations and erythrocyte membrane contents of phospholipids were quantified in patients with CHD (n = 30, group A) and age-matched controls (n = 38, group B) using high-performance liquid chromatography with evaporative light scattering detection method.

Results: Plasma concentrations of plasmalogens in group A were significantly lower than those in group B. Similar findings were obtained from relative contents of plasmalogens in the erythrocyte membrane. Multiple regression models for plasmalogens yielded phospholipids other than plasmalogen as determinants of plasmalogens.

Conclusions: This cross-sectional study indicated that plasma and erythrocyte membrane plasmalogens are reduced in patients with CHD undergoing PCI. Further longitudinal studies are required to elucidate the clinical role of intrinsic plasmalogens as a laboratory marker of oxidative stress and extrinsic plasmalogens as a novel therapy for atherosclerosis.