Lipoprotein particles in patients with pediatric Cushing disease and possible cardiovascular risks

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular (CV) complications are the most significant cause of mortality in adults with Cushing disease (CD); little is known about CV risk factors in children with CD. Measurement of lipoprotein particles by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is a novel technology to assess CV risk. The objective of the current study is to analyze the NMR lipid profile in pediatric CD patients before and 1 year after remission. METHODS: NMR lipid profile was obtained via the Vantera NMR analyzer, using frozen serum samples from 33 CD patients (mean age 13.8 ± 4.0 years) evaluated between 1997 and 2017 at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center (CC). RESULTS: GlycA, triglyceride-rich particles (TRLP medium and very small sizes), LDL particles (LDLP total and large size), HDL particles (HDLP total, medium and small sizes), total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, GlycA inflammatory biomarker, Apolipoprotein B and Apolipoprotein A1 concentrations showed statistically significant changes after remission of CD (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: In our study population, most of the lipid variables improved post-CDremission, with the exception of HDL and apoA1, indicating that NMR lipoprotein profile may be a helpful tool in assessing the cardiovascular risk in pediatric patients with CD.