Lp-PLA(2) and risk of atherosclerotic vascular disease.

摘要

LDL serves a crucial physiological role as a transporter of cholesterol to various tissues. Cellular cholesterol homoeostasis is regulated by the activity of the LDL receptor through negative feedback mechanisms. In industrialised societies, LDL cholesterol concentrations often exceed physiological requirements. This excess in LDL particles promotes transport into the vessel wall where they might be retained through interactions with intimal proteoglycans, and undergo physicochemical modification. Specific modifications in the chemical structure of the LDL particle facilitate their ingress into macrophages through non-regulated pathways, resulting in foam-cell formation.