No association between serum phytosterols and inflammatory marker levels in a population-based study

Type of funding sources: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): Swiss National Science Foundation

The association between inflammation and dietary sterols remains poorly assessed at the population level.

To assess the possible association between serum levels of various phytosterols (PS) and inflammatory markers.

Serum levels of six PS (campesterol, campestanol, stigmasterol, sitosterol, sitostanol, brassicasterol), four cholesterol synthesis markers (lathosterol, lanosterol, desmosterol, dihydrolanosterol) and one cholesterol absorption marker (cholestanol) were measured together with levels of CRP, IL-6 and TNF-alpha in two cross-sectional surveys of a population-based, prospective study.

PS levels and their ratios to cholesterol were significantly positively correlated to other PS and cholesterol absorption marker and negatively correlated to cholesterol synthesis markers, with a good agreement between follow-ups. Bivariate correlations showed a generally negative, sometimes significant, association between PS levels (or PS:total cholesterol ratio) and CRP in both follow-ups. The association between PS (or PS:total cholesterol) and IL6 or TNF alpha was mostly negative and, for some PS, significant in the second follow-up (Figure). These associations did not withstand adjusting for confounding factors such as sex, age, BMI and statin administration.

In this population-based study, PS serum levels were not significantly associated with inflammatory markers.