Investigation of the relationship between trimethylamine N-oxide, CD36, and CD38 levels in individuals with a high triglyceride/HDL-cholesterol ratio

Background and Aims: The Triglyceride/HDL-Cholesterol (TG/HDL-C) ratio is a recognized biomarker for cardiovascular risk, linked to atherogenic dyslipidemia and insulin resistance. Recent evidence also implicates molecules like trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), CD36, and CD38 in metabolic inflammation and atherosclerosis. This study investigated the relationship between TMAO, CD36, and CD38 in individuals with a high TG/HDL-C ratio. Methods: A total of 82 volunteer individuals with no known cardiac disease were enrolled in the study (41 dyslipidemic individuals and 41 healthy controls). Serum TMAO levels from participants were quantitatively measured using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The surface expression levels of CD36 and CD38 on the monocyte population were assessed by flow cytometry. The plasma atherogenic index (PAI) was calculated using the log(TG/HDL-C) formula to assess the atherogenic risk status. Results: The TG/HDL-C ratio, TMAO level, and CD38 expressions were significantly higher in the dyslipidemia group compared to the control group (p < 0.05). Additionally, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels and HOMA-IR scores were higher in dyslipidemic individuals. According to the PAI assessment, the entire dyslipidemia group was in the high cardiovascular risk category. The TG/HDL-C ratio showed a positive correlation with TMAO and CD38 levels. Conclusion: The positive relationship between the TG/HDL-C ratio and TMAO and CD38 levels suggests that these parameters could be evaluated together to reflect cardiovascular risk. However, given the cross-sectional design of the study, these findings indicate associations rather than causal relationships, and metabolic and inflammatory markers may reflect early stages of subclinical atherosclerosis in individuals without known cardiovascular disease.