Atherogenesis in human - clinical aspects of circulating immune complexes

Abstract

It has been suggested that circulating immune complexes containing low density lipoproteins (LDL-CIC) play a role in atherogenesis and are involved in the formation of early atherosclerotic lesions. The complexes, as well as anti-LDL antibody were found in the blood of patients with atherosclerotic process in various cardiovascular diseases, well as in the blood of animals with experimentally modulated atherosclerosis. One can assume that the presence anti-LDL antibodies in blood is a result of an immune response that is induced by modification of lipoproteins. LDL-CIC differ from native LDL in many aspects. They have much lower levels of sialic acid, a smaller diameter and a higher density electronegativity than native LDL. The fraction of the LDL-CIC in serum is an important manifestation of the atherosclerotic process. LDL-CIC, unlike the native LDL is able to induce intracellular accumulation of neutral lipids, especially esterified cholesterol in cell cultures obtained from healthy human aortic intima and macrophages in culture. After removal of the LDL-CIC, the serum of CHD-patients loses its atherogenic properties. The titer of the LDL-CIC in the blood serum significantly correlate with the progression of atherosclerosis and in vivo has the highest diagnostic yield of measured among other lipid parameters. Increasing CIC- cholesterol could also increase the risk of coronary artery atherosclerosis.