La PCSK9 humaine, une molécule aux multiples facettes métaboliques et une cible thérapeutique prometteuse : études de régulation in vitro et in vivo

Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) has been identified as the third locus implicated in autosomal dominant hypercholesterolemia (ADH). The two other known genes implicated in ADH encode the low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) and apolipoprotein B. PCSK9 is a protein convertase that post-translationally promotes the degradation of the LDLR in hepatocytes and increases plasma LDL cholesterol concentration (LDL-C). Heterozygote “gain-of-function” mutations of PCSK9 are associated with the familial hypercholesterolemia phenotype, whereas “loss-of-function” variants are associated with reduced LDL-C concentrations and lower coronary risk.  As an approach toward the elucidation of the physiological role(s) of PCSK9, we studied its transcriptional regulation. Using quantitative RT-PCR, we assessed PCSK9 regulation under conditions known to regulate genes involved in cholesterol metabolism in HepG2 cells and in human primary hepatocytes. We found that PCSK9 expression was strongly induced by statins in a dose-dependent manner and that this induction was efficiently reversed by mevalonate. The PCSK9 promoter contains two typical conserved motifs for cholesterol regulation: a sterol regulatory element (SRE) and an Sp1 site.  PCSK9 circulates in plasma as mature and furin-cleaved forms. A polyclonal antibody against human PCSK9 was used to develop an ELISA that measures total plasma PCSK9 rather than only the mature form. A cross-sectional study evaluated plasma levels in normal and hypercholesterolemic subjects treated or untreated with statins or statin plus ezetimibe. In 254 healthy subjects, the mean plasma PCSK9 (SD) concentration was 89 (32) µg/L. PCSK9 levels correlated positively with plasma cholesterol, LDL-C, triglycerides, fasting glucose, age and body mass index. Sequencing PCSK9 from subjects at the extremes of PCSK9 plasma distribution revealed a new loss-of-function R434W variant. In 200 hypercholesterolemic patients, circulating PCSK9 was higher than in controls (P<0.04), increased with increasing statin dose (P<0.001), and further increased when ezetimibe was added (P<0.001). In treated patients (n = 139), those with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH; due to LDLR gene mutations) had higher PCSK9 values than non-FH (P<0,005), and LDL-C reduction correlated positively with achieved plasma PCSK9 levels to a similar extent in both subsets (P<0.02 and P<0.005, respectively). However, incubation with ezetimibe of HepG2 (hepatocytes) and Caco-2 (enterocytes) cells caused an increase in PCSK9 and NPC1L1 mRNA of 1.5 to 2-fold (P<0.05), but no significant rise in PCSK9 protein secretion, suggesting that these transformed cells are not an ideal model. We also studied PCSK9 levels in 1,739 French Canadian youth ages 9, 13, and 16 years old. The mean (SD) plasma PCSK9 concentration, measured by ELISA, was 84.7 (24.7) µg/L in the cohort, slightly lower than in the adult cohort (89.5 (31.9) µg/L. In boys, plasma PCSK9 decreased with age, whereas the inverse was true for girls. There were significant positive associations between PCSK9 and fasting glucose, insulin, and HOMA-IR (homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance). In multivariable analysis, a 10% higher fasting insulin was associated with a 1%-2% higher PCSK9 in both sexes. There were also positive associations between PCSK9 and total cholesterol, LDL-C, and triglycerides, as well as with HDL-C and apolipoproteins A1 and B. PCSK9 regulation is typical of that of the genes implicated in lipoprotein metabolism. In vivo, PCSK9 is probably a target of the transcription factor “sterol response element-binding protein” (SREBP)-2. The PCSK9 plasmatic concentration is associated with age, sex, and multiple metabolic markers in youth and adult samples. The detection of circulating PCSK9 in both FH and non-FH subjects means that this PCSK9 ELISA test could be used to monitor response to therapy in a wide range of patients. PCSK9 seems to be a promising drug target in the treatment of hypercholesterolemia and coronary heart disease.

Keyphrases: ezetimibe, ELISA, LDL-cholesterol, statins, ezetimibe, hypercholesterolemia, ELISA, cardiovascular disease