IgA antibodies to phosphocholine associate with long-term cardiovascular disease risk

Antibodies to phosphocholine and oxidized LDL (oxLDL) are proposed to modify progression of atherosclerosis. We investigated the prognostic value of antibodies to phosphocholine (PCho), Streptococcus pneumoniae cell wall polysaccharide (CWPS) and oxLDL in defining long-term CVD survival. CVD incidence was followed for 18 years and analyzed with baseline plasma IgM, IgG and IgA antibody levels to PCho, CWPS and oxLDL in 1044 subjects of Oulu Project Elucidating Risk of Atherosclerosis study (OPERA). During the follow-up period, 195 subjects (18.7%) had a CVD event. Cox model with ACC/AHA CVD adjustments (ASCVD) showed that IgA levels to PCho and IgA to CWPS were statistically significant factors predicting CVD risk. IgM and IgG antibodies to PCho, CWPS and oxLDL had no effect on CVD risk after adjusting for other risk factors. Net reclassification improvement (categories: 17-year risk 30%), was 0.06 (−0.001–0.12, p