Title:Comparison of Postprandial Serum Triglyceride and Apolipoprotein B Concentrations between the Two Phases of Menstrual Cycle in Healthy Women
Volume: 19
Issue: 4
Author(s): Evangelia Tzeravini, Anastasios Tentolouris, Ioanna Eleftheriadou, Nikolaos Chaviaras, Genovefa Kolovou, Fani Apostolidou-Kiouti, Eleftherios Stratigakos and Nikolaos Tentolouris*
Affiliation:
- First Department of Propaedeutic Internal Medicine, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Laiko General Hospital, Athens,Greece
Keywords:
Postprandial lipemia, triglycerides, apolipoprotein B, oral fat tolerance test, menstrual cycle, non-high density lipoprotein
cholesterol.
Abstract:
Background: Sex hormones influence lipoprotein metabolism; whether the hormonal fluctuation
during normal menstrual cycle has impact on non-fasting lipids remains unclear.
Objective: To examine the differences in postprandial triglyceride, apolipoprotein B (ApoB) and nonhigh
density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C) concentrations using a standardized fat tolerance test
during the 2 menstrual cycle phases.
Methods: We enrolled 25 healthy, menstruating women. Each of them underwent a fat tolerance test
during the 2 phases of the menstrual cycle. Blood samples were collected at baseline and up to 6 h postprandially.
Differences in serum triglycerides, ApoB and non-HDL-C between the 2 phases were assessed.
The incremental area under the curve (iAUC) was calculated. Reproducibility of the measurements
was tested using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and coefficient of variation (CV).
Results: Serum triglyceride concentrations increased postprandially in both phases and the values were
higher during the follicular compared with the luteal phase; however, the overall triglyceride response
expressed as iAUC [median value (interquartile range)] did not differ between the follicular and the
luteal phase [54.0 (-26.5, 107.0) and 48.0 (6.0, 114.5) mg x h/dl, respectively, p=0.64]. Serum ApoB
concentrations did not increase postprandially and the overall ApoB response was not different between
the 2 phases. Non-HDL-C concentrations changed postprandially, but the overall response was not different
between the 2 phases of the menstrual cycle. Reproducibility of the measurements was moderate:
ICC 0.689-0.848 for triglycerides, 0.721-0.771 for ApoB, 0.457-0.867 for non-HDL-C, and %CV >8 for
all parameters.
Conclusion: Serum triglyceride levels were higher during the follicular compared with the luteal phase
after standardized meal consumption, but the overall postprandial triglyceride response did not differ
between the 2 phases. Postprandial ApoB and non-HDL-C serum concentrations were not affected by
the menstrual cycle.
