Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the number one cause of death globally and more people die annually from CVD than any other disease state. On World Heart Day 2018, Randox Reagents are committed to developing niche and superior performance assays for the early detection of CVD risk with the hope to change this statistic and improve the heart health of millions worldwide.

There are a number of influencing factors that can lead to a patient experiencing a cardiovascular event. The risk factors for this multifactorial disease include: genetic predisposition, age, gender, smoking, hypertension, stress, dietary habits and physical inactivity. Little evidence exists explaining the mechanism of the Apolipoproteins in the body and their contribution to the causes of some of these cardiac diseases.

Apolipoprotein E

Apolipoprotein E (Apo E) is a lipid transport and signalling protein found in the blood which is synthesized mostly by the liver. Apo E has been found to have many roles in the body including the promotion of antiatherogenic properties. Essentially the main function of Apo E is to act as a ligand to the LDL receptor. This relationship plays a critical role in metabolism by promoting cellular uptake of lipoproteins. Through this process Apo E acts as a major component of overall plasma cholesterol homeostasis which facilitates the hepatic uptake of lipoproteins by binding to their receptors. It works to stabilise the equilibrium of cholesterol in the blood by transporting the cholesterol between cells preventing platelet aggregation. Apo E deficiency can influence the plasma concentration and metabolic destination of LDL creating an increased risk of CVD.

Apolipoprotein C-III

Apolipoprotein C-III is another apolipoprotein found in the circulatory system. Its metabolic actions have been found to be actively different to ApoE. The Apo C-III has been found to prevent binding of VLDL cellular receptors resulting in the conversion of VLDL to LDL rather than promoting the clearance of the circulatory system. In addition, it specifically and directly encourages proatherogenic changes in monocytes and endothelial cells. Research has found that the plasma concentration of LDL with Apo C-III strongly predicts the incidence of recurrent cardiovascular events.

Working together to lower CVD Risk

The conflicting roles of Apo E and Apo C-III in the circulatory system has created interest amongst researchers and has raised the question ‘Could the ApoE content of LDL Cholesterol with Apo C-III reduce the proatherogenic nature of Apo C-III reducing a patient’s risk of a CVD event?’.

In fact, studies have now found that the presence of ApoE is associated with lower atherogenicity of LDL Cholesterol containing Apo C-III.  The abundance ApoE relative to the abundance of LDL Cholesterol with Apo C-III is a protective factor against coronary heart disease. This relationship is further supported by the antagonistic relationship between the two apolipoproteins. The idea that Apo E may be able to effectively protect against the effects of the combination of LDL Cholesterol with Apo C-III is important to consider due to their strong links with CVD.

The Randox Apolipoprotein E and Apolipoprotein C-III reagent allows for prompt and accurate diagnosis of Apolipoprotein levels, an influencing factor in cardiovascular disease.

The Randox Apolipoprotein E reagent

The benefits of the Randox Apo E assay includ:

• Excellent working reagent stability when stored at +2 to +8 ̊C
• A wide measuring range of 1.04 -12.3 mg/dl enabling the comfortable detection of levels outside of the health range, 2.7-4.5 mg/dl
• Liquid ready-to-use reagent for convenience and ease-of-use
• Immunoturbidimetric method

The Randox Apolipoprotein C-III reagent

The key benefits of the Randox C-III assay include:

• Liquid ready-to-use reagent for convenience and ease-of-use
• Excellent Linearity of 21.7 mg/dl. The approximate normal upper limit for Apo CIII is 9.5 mg/dl therefore the Randox assay will comfortably detect elevated, potentially harmful levels of Apo C-III
• Limited interference from Bilirubin, Haemoglobin, Intralipid and Triglycerides for truly accurate results
• Applications are available detailing instrument-specific settings for a wide range of clinical chemistry analyzers
• Immunoturbidimetric method

References

1. Apolipoprotein E in VLDL and LDL with Apolipoprotein C-III is Associated with a Lower Risk of Coronary Heart Disease. Mendivil, Carlos, et al. s.l. : Journal of the American Heart Association , 2013.