Hormone therapy impacts on HDL-CEC but not on HDL subclasses and serum loading capacity: A cohort of transgender individuals.

Abstract

Background and Aims: Among the HDL atheroprotective function, the most known is the ability of promoting cholesterol efflux from macrophages, termed cholesterol efflux capacity (CEC) and considered a better predictor of cardiovascular disease (CVD) than HDL levels. Moreover, the capacity of serum to load macrophages with cholesterol (cholesterol loading capacity, CLC) represents an index of serum pro-atherogenic potential. As transgender individuals are exposed to lifelong exogenous hormone therapy, we investigated whether HDL-CEC, HDL subclasses and serum CLC are affected by hormone treatment.