Soluble LRP1 is an independent biomarker of epicardial fat volume in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus

Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) is a metabolically active tissue intimately associated with metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease. Quantification of EAT volume is an interesting clinical tool for the evaluation of cardiometabolic disease. Nevertheless, current methodology presents serious disadvantages. The soluble form of the receptor LRP1 (sLRP1) is a non-invasive biomarker of EAT in general population. Here, we analysed the potential of circulating sLRP1 as biomarker of EAT volume in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). The study included a well-characterized cohort of T1DM patients without clinical cardiovascular disease (N = 73). EAT volume was assessed by a multidetector computed tomography (MDCT). sLRP1 and panel of inflammatory and endocrine mediators were measured using commercially available ELISA. EAT volume showed a direct association with circulating sLRP1 (β = 0.398, P = 0.001) in univariate linear regression analysis. This association was higher than that observed for other potential inflammatory and endocrine biomarkers. Using multivariate linear regression analyses, we demonstrated that the association between EAT volume and circulating sLRP1 was independent of potential confounding factors, including age, sex, body mass index, CRP, HbA1c and LDL-C (P < 0.050 for all multivariate linear regression models). In conclusion, sLRP1 is an independent biomarker of EAT in T1DM patients.