Serum talin1 is associated with hypercholesterolemic and atherogenic states of lipid metabolism: results from latent profile analysis in Chinese adults

Dyslipidemia is a major modifiable risk factor for atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. Talin1, a cytoskeletal protein essential for integrin activation, has been implicated in lipid-related biological processes in experimental studies. However, its role in lipid metabolism remains unclear in humans. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the association between serum talin1 levels and lipid metabolism in an unselected population of Chinese adults. A cross-sectional analysis of 1902 community members (mean age: 57.33 years; 37.85% males) free of cardiovascular disease was conducted. Serum talin1 levels were measured by a commercial ELISA, and nine indicators of lipid metabolism, namely, conventional cholesterol (TC, TG, LDL-C, and HDL-C) level, remnant cholesterol (RC) level, the triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index, the non-HDL-C level, the LDL-HDL ratio, and the plasma atherogenic index (AIP), were determined. The latent status of lipid metabolism was stratified by latent profile analysis incorporating these indicators. Median regression and logistic regression were applied to examine the associations of serum talin1 with lipid levels and metabolic status, respectively. Among the nine indicators, a higher level of serum talin1 was significantly associated with TC (β = 0.16, P = 0.010) and RC (β = 0.08, P < 0.001). A higher serum talin1 level was associated with a 67% greater risk of abnormal lipid metabolism, defined by elevated RC (OR = 1.67, 95%CI: 1.25–2.25, P = 0.001), rather than other indicators (all P > 0.05). Serum talin1 was significantly associated with adverse latent states of lipid metabolism, such as an atherogenic state (OR = 1.72, 95%CI: 1.11–2.30, P = 0.017) and a hypercholesterolemic state (OR = 1.63, 95%CI: 1.16–2.31, P = 0.005). Elevated serum talin1 levels were not only significantly associated with higher levels of TC and RC but also indicated adverse states of lipid metabolism, hypercholesterolemic and atherogenic states particularly, in an unselected population of Chinese adults.