Role of secretory phospholipase A(2) in women with metabolic syndrome

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Secretory phospholipase A(2) (sPLA(2)), a member of the phospholipase A2 superfamily of enzymes that hydrolyses phospholipids, is a potentially useful plasma biomarker for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of mortality in women. The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation between cardiovascular risk factors and the sPLA(2) levels in women with metabolic syndrome as compared to women without metabolic syndrome and men with metabolic syndrome. METHODS: Patients (n=100) with various cardiovascular risk factors consecutively evaluated at the Rehabilitation Hospital-Cardiology Department, Cluj-Napoca, Romania were enrolled during 2011, of whom 10 were excluded. The patients were divided in three groups: group 1 (37 women with metabolic syndrome), group 2 (27 men with metabolic syndrome), and group 3 (26 women without metabolic syndrome). Body weight, smoking habits, glycaemia, hypertension, and serum lipids fractions were analysed as cardiovascular factors. Serum sPLA(2) activity was measured using the chromogenic method. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant correlations between sPLA(2) levels and the investigated risk factors, irrespective of patient groups. However, there were significant positive correlations between sPLA(2) and hsCRP in all three groups (P<0.05). In women with no metabolic syndrome an negative correlation was found between sPLA(2) levels and HDL-C- r=-0.419, P=0.03. In men with metabolic syndrome there was a direct correlation between sPLA(2) levels and HOMA, r=0.43, P<0.05, 95% CI (-0.098; 1.15). INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSIONS: Women with metabolic syndrome did not display different sPLA(2) levels as compared to men with metabolic syndrome and women without metabolic syndrome. However, women with metabolic syndrome demonstrated a low but positive correlation between sPLA(2) and hsCRP levels.