Jpn. J. Infect. Dis., 57, S21-S22, 2004
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The Role of Myeloperoxidase in the Pathogenesis of Coronary
Artery Disease
Stephen J. Nicholls1,2 and Stanley
L. Hazen1,2,3,4*
1Department of Cardiovascular Medicine,
2Center for Cardiovascular Diagnostics and
Prevention, 3Department of Cell Biology,
Cleveland Clinic Foundation and 4Department
of Molecular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine
of Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
*Corresponding author: hazens@ccf.org
SUMMARY: A growing body of evidence continues to emerge implicating
the role of myeloperoxidase (MPO) and its oxidant products in
the promotion of atherogenesis. A major mechanism by which MPO
impacts the arterial wall is through its modification of net cellular
cholesterol flux. MPO promotes lipid peroxidation and conversion
of LDL to an atherogenic form, where it is taken up by macrophages,
a critical step in foam cell formation. Emerging evidence suggests
that HDL can also be modified by MPO derived oxidants, resulting
in an impairment of cholesterol efflux. In addition, modified
HDL appears to be a strong predictor of clinical risk. These features
highlight MPO and its products as potential predictive markers
and targets in atheroprotection.