Diagnostic markers based on a computational model of lipoprotein metabolism

BACKGROUND: Dyslipidemia is an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease and type II diabetes. Lipoprotein diagnostics, such as LDL cholesterol and HDL cholesterol, help to diagnose these diseases. Lipoprotein profile measurements could improve lipoprotein diagnostics, but interpretational complexity has limited their clinical application to date. We have previously developed a computational model called Particle Profiler to interpret lipoprotein profiles. In the current study we further developed and calibrated Particle Profiler using subjects with specific genetic conditions. We subsequently performed technical validation and worked at an initial indication of clinical usefulness starting from available data on lipoprotein concentrations and metabolic fluxes. Since the model outcomes cannot be measured directly, the only available technical validation was corroboration. For an initial indication of clinical usefulness, pooled lipoprotein metabolic flux data was available from subjects with various types of dyslipidemia. Therefore we investigated how well lipoprotein metabolic ratios derived from Particle Profiler distinguished reported dyslipidemic from normolipidemic subjects. RESULTS: We found that the model could fit a range of normolipidemic and dyslipidemic subjects from fifteen out of sixteen studies equally well, with an average 8.8% ± 5.0% fit error; only one study showed a larger fit error. As initial indication of clinical usefulness, we showed that one diagnostic marker based on VLDL metabolic ratios better distinguished dyslipidemic from normolipidemic subjects than triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, or LDL cholesterol. The VLDL metabolic ratios outperformed each of the classical diagnostics separately; they also added power of distinction when included in a multivariate logistic regression model on top of the classical diagnostics. CONCLUSIONS: In this study we further developed, calibrated, and corroborated the Particle Profiler computational model using pooled lipoprotein metabolic flux data. From pooled lipoprotein metabolic flux data on dyslipidemic patients, we derived VLDL metabolic ratios that better distinguished normolipidemic from dyslipidemic subjects than standard diagnostics, including HDL cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL cholesterol. Since dyslipidemias are closely linked to cardiovascular disease and diabetes type II development, lipoprotein metabolic ratios are candidate risk markers for these diseases. These ratios can in principle be obtained by applying Particle Profiler to a single lipoprotein profile measurement, which makes clinical application feasible.