Profiling endothelial function, oxidative stress and inflammatory biomarkers in individuals with various cardiovascular risk factors: the African-PREDICT study

Cardiovascular risk factors are known to contribute to cardiovascular disease (CVD) development by inducing endothelial activation, increasing oxidative stress and pro-inflammation. The early interaction between these pathways and individual cardiovascular (CV) risk factors is poorly understood. We profiled a range of circulating endothelial function, oxidative stress and inflammatory biomarkers and explored their associations with individual CV risk factors in young (20-30 years, n = 1196) adults without self-reported chronic conditions or medication use. Participants were stratified into CV risk factor groups based on blood pressure, anthropometrical measurements, biochemical analyses and questionnaire data. We identified several differences in biomarker levels between control (without any CV risk factors) and individual CV risk factor groups and confirmed independent associations of these biomarkers with individual risk factors (all p < 0.05). Greater central adiposity was mainly associated with a pro-inflammatory profile (interleukin-6, C-reactive protein and fibrinogen), but also with endothelial activation and oxidative stress (plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 and reactive oxygen species). High low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels and alcohol use were associated with endothelial activation (P-selectin), while smoking, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels and alcohol use were related to markers of inflammation (growth differentiation factor-15 and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1). Glycated hemoglobin levels and blood pressure were positively associated with glutathione reductase activity, while blood pressure also associated positively with interleukin-10 levels. Our data provides insight into the initial underlying mechanisms associated with early CVD development in young individuals exposed to different cardiovascular risk factors.