Total carotene plasma concentrations are inversely associated with atherosclerotic plaque burden: A post-hoc analysis of the DIABIMCAP cohort

Abstract

Background and aims: Atherosclerosis is the major risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), the first cause of death worldwide. Chronic low-grade inflammation and a sustained oxidative milieu are caus- atively related to atherosclerosis onset and progression, and therefore, dietary patterns rich in bioactive compounds with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities might likely contribute to revert or slowing the progression of atherosclerosis. The aim of this study is to analyse the association between fruit and vegetables intake, quantitatively measured through carotene plasma concentrations, and atherosclerotic burden, as a surrogate biomarker of CVD, in free-living subjects from the DIABIMCAP cohort study. Methods: The 204 participants of the DIABIMCAP Study cohort (Carotid Atherosclerosis in Newly Diag- nosed Type 2 Diabetic Individuals, ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01898572), were included in this cross-sectional study. Total, a-, and b-carotenes were quantified by HPLC-MS/MS. Lipoprotein analysis in serum was performed by 2D- 1H NMR- DOSY, and atherosclerosis and intima media thickness (IMT) were measured through standardized bilateral carotid artery ultrasound imaging. Results: Subjects with atherosclerosis (n 1⁄4 134) had lower levels of large HDL particles than subjects without atherosclerosis. Positive associations were found between a-carotene and both large and me- dium HDL particles, and inverse associations were found between b- and total carotene, and VLDL and its medium/small particles. Subjects with atherosclerosis presented significantly lower plasma concentra- tions of total carotene compared with subjects without atherosclerosis. Plasma concentrations of caro- tene decreased as the number of atherosclerotic plaques increased, although after multivariate adjustment, the inverse association between b- and total carotene with plaque burden remained sig- nificant only in women.