Objective: To investigate the factors that may affect antibody titres to heat shock proteins (Hsp)-60, -65 and -70, and serum C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations in patients with dyslipidaemia and other features of the metabolic syndrome as defined by ATPIII criteria.
Material and methods: The study comprised 237 dyslipidaemia patients and 135 healthy individuals recruited from amongst university and hospital employees.
Results: Compared to the healthy individuals, the dyslipidaemic patients had higher antibody titres to Hsp-60 (p<0.01), Hsp-65 (p<0.001) and Hsp-70 (p<0.05), and higher serum CRP concentrations (p<0.001). The best-fitting multifactorial models revealed that known coronary risk factors explained little of the variation in Hsp antibody titres: 3 % for Hsp-60, 1 % for Hsp-65 and 4 % for Hsp-70 amongst the dyslipidaemic subjects. The corresponding values for the subgroup with the metabolic syndrome were 8 %, 3 % and 1 %, respectively. In contrast, the best-fitting model explained 13.5 % of the variation in serum CRP concentrations among the dyslipidaemic patients, obesity being a major determinant; and 14 % in the subgroup with metabolic syndrome.
Conclusions: The higher antibody titres to Hsp-60, -65, and -70 in the dyslipidaemic patients may be related to a heightened state of immunoactivation associated with atherosclerosis in this group. Our data indicate that antibody titres to these Hsps are not associated with the classical coronary risk factors, although serum high sensitivity (hs)CRP concentrations were significantly related to obesity.