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Research Article Free access | 10.1172/JCI116983

Impairment of endothelium-dependent dilation is an early event in children with familial hypercholesterolemia and is related to the lipoprotein(a) level.

K E Sorensen, D S Celermajer, D Georgakopoulos, G Hatcher, D J Betteridge, and J E Deanfield

Cardiothoracic Unit, Hospital for Sick Children, London, United Kingdom.

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Cardiothoracic Unit, Hospital for Sick Children, London, United Kingdom.

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Cardiothoracic Unit, Hospital for Sick Children, London, United Kingdom.

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Cardiothoracic Unit, Hospital for Sick Children, London, United Kingdom.

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Cardiothoracic Unit, Hospital for Sick Children, London, United Kingdom.

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Cardiothoracic Unit, Hospital for Sick Children, London, United Kingdom.

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Published January 1, 1994 - More info

Published in Volume 93, Issue 1 on January 1, 1994
J Clin Invest. 1994;93(1):50–55. https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI116983.
© 1994 The American Society for Clinical Investigation
Published January 1, 1994 - Version history
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Abstract

Familial hypercholesterolemia is associated with premature atherosclerosis. Since endothelial dysfunction is an early event in atherogenesis, we used a noninvasive method to assess endothelial function in the systemic arteries of 30 children aged 7-17 yr (median 11) with familial hypercholesterolemia (2 homozygotes, 28 heterozygotes, total cholesterol 240-696 mg/dl) and 30 healthy age- and sex-matched controls. Using high resolution ultrasound, the diameter of the superficial femoral artery was measured at rest, in response to reactive hyperemia (with increased flow causing endothelium-dependent dilation), and after sublingual glyceryltrinitrate (causing endothelium-independent vasodilation). Flow-mediated dilation was present in the controls (7.5 +/- 0.7%) but was impaired or absent in the hypercholesterolemic children (1.2 +/- 0.4%, P < 0.0001). Total cholesterol was inversely correlated with flow-mediated dilation (r = -0.61, P < 0.0001). In the hypercholesterolemic children, flow-mediated dilation was inversely related to the lipoprotein(a) level (r = -0.61, P = 0.027) but not to other lipid fractions. Glyceryltrinitrate-induced dilation was present in all subjects but was lower in the hypercholesterolemia group (10.0 +/- 0.6% vs 12.4 +/- 0.8%, P = 0.023). Thus, impaired endothelium-dependent dilation is present in children with familial hypercholesterolemia as young as 7 yr of age and the degree of impairment is related to the lipoprotein(a) level.

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