Triglycerides may behave as acute phase reactants in the plasma

Background: We tried to understand some unknown functions of plasma triglycerides. Methods: Patients with plasma triglycerides lower than 60 mg/dL were put into the first, lower than 100 mg/dL into the second, lower than 150 mg/dL into the third, lower than 200 mg/dL into the fourth, and 200 mg/dL or higher into the fifth groups, respectively. Results: The study included 875 cases (505 females), totally. Mean age increased up to the plasma triglycerides value of 200 mg/dL, and there was an increase of triglycerides about 7.8 mg/dL for each year of aging. Whereas male ratio increased parallel to the increased plasma values of triglycerides, continuously (30.9% versus 51.2%, p<0.001). Mean Body Mass Index (BMI) was 24.6, 27.1, 29.4, 29.9, and 30.0 kg/m2 in the five groups, respectively, and it was only normal in patients with plasma triglycerides values lower than 60 mg/dL. Fasting plasma glucose (FPG), hypertension (HT), diabetes mellitus (DM), smoking, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and chronic renal disease (CRD) increased parallel to the increased triglycerides, continuously. Whereas low density lipoproteins (LDL), white coat hypertension (WCH), and coronary heart disease (CHD) increased just up to plasma triglycerides value of 200 mg/dL. Conclusions: Plasma triglycerides may behave as acute phase reactants indicating disseminated endothelial damage, inflammation, fibrosis, and eventual atherosclerosis all over the body. Interestingly, parallel to the increased plasma triglycerides values, significant deterioration was observed regarding the components of the metabolic syndrome including mean age, male gender, smoking, BMI, FPG, LDL, WCH, HT, DM, COPD, CHD and CRD.