Elevated levels of apolipoprotein D predict poor outcome in patients with suspected or established coronary artery disease.

Background And Aims: Apolipoprotein D (apoD) is a lipocalin exerting neuroprotective effects. However, the relevance of apoD in respect to cardiovascular risk is largely unexplored. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the ability of apoD to predict future all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, and cardiovascular events.

Cholesterol Efflux Capacity Associates with the Ankle-Brachial Index but Not All-Cause Mortality in Patients with Peripheral Artery Disease.

Background: Cholesterol efflux is an important mechanism by which high-density lipoproteins (HDLs) protect against cardiovascular disease. As peripheral artery disease (PAD) is associated with high mortality rates, mainly due to cardiovascular causes, we investigated whether cholesterol efflux capacity (CEC) of apolipoprotein B (apoB)-depleted plasma, a widely used surrogate of HDL function, may serve as a predictive marker for mortality in this patient population.

Methods: In this prospective single-center study (median follow-up time: 9.

Group IIA Secretory Phospholipase A Predicts Graft Failure and Mortality in Renal Transplant Recipients by Mediating Decreased Kidney Function.

The acute phase protein group IIA secretory phospholipase A (sPLA-IIA) has intrinsic proatherosclerotic properties. The present prospective cohort study investigated whether plasma sPLA-IIA associates with graft failure, cardiovascular, and all-cause mortality in renal transplant recipients (RTRs), patients with accelerated atherosclerosis formation both systemically and within the graft. In 511 RTRs from a single academic center with stable graft function >1 year, baseline plasma sPLA-IIA was determined by ELISA.

HDL inhibits endoplasmic reticulum stress-induced apoptosis of pancreatic β-cells in vitro by activation of Smoothened.

Loss of pancreatic β-cell mass and function as a result of sustained ER stress is a core step in the pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus type 2. The complex control of β-cells and insulin production involves hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathways as well as cholesterol-mediated effects. In fact, data from studies in humans and animal models suggest that HDL protects against the development of diabetes through inhibition of ER stress and β-cell apoptosis.

High-density lipoprotein cholesterol efflux capacity is not associated with atherosclerosis and prevalence of cardiovascular outcome: The CODAM study.

Background: Cholesterol Efflux Capacity (CEC) is considered to be a key atheroprotective property of high-density lipoproteins (HDL). However, the role of HDL-CEC in atherosclerosis and cardiovascular (CV) risk is still controversial, and data in individuals with diabetes are limited.

Objective: In this study, we have investigated the relationship of CEC and other HDL characteristics with clinical and subclinical atherosclerosis in subjects with elevated cardiovascular diseases (CVD) risk and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM).

HDL Cholesterol Efflux Predicts Incident New-Onset Diabetes After Transplantation (NODAT) in Renal Transplant Recipients Independent of HDL Cholesterol Levels.

In renal transplant recipients (RTRs), new-onset diabetes after transplantation (NODAT) is a frequent and serious complication limiting survival of graft and patient. However, the underlying pathophysiology remains incompletely understood. In vitro and in preclinical models, HDL can preserve β-cell function, largely by mediating cholesterol efflux, but this concept has not been evaluated in humans.

Autoantibodies to Apolipoprotein A-1 as Independent Predictors of Cardiovascular Mortality in Renal Transplant Recipients.

Renal transplant recipients (RTRs) are known to have a high cardio-vascular disease (CVD) burden only partly explained by traditional CVD risk factors. The aim of this paper was therefore to determine: i) the prognostic value of autoantibodies against apoA-1 (anti-apoA-1 IgG) for incidence of CVD mortality, all-cause mortality and graft failure in RTR. Four hundred and sixty two (462) prospectively included RTRs were followed for 7.

Cardiac biomarkers but not measures of vascular atherosclerosis predict mortality in patients with peripheral artery disease.

Background: Peripheral artery disease (PAD) becomes more prevalent with advancing age and is associated with elevated risk of cardiovascular events and shortened life expectancy. We investigated the prognostic performance of cardiac and vascular biomarkers in a cohort of PAD patients.

Methods: A total of 95 PAD patients were enrolled (mean age 68 years, range 47 to 86 years, 73 males).

Evaluation of the new restandardized Abbott Architect 25-OH Vitamin D assay in vitamin D-insufficient and vitamin D-supplemented individuals.

Background: Recently, Abbott Diagnostics has restandardized the Architect 25(OH)D assay against the NIST SRM 2972. We have evaluated the analytical and clinical performance of the restandardized Architect 25(OH)D assay and compared its performance with a NIST-traceable liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method and the Roche total 25(OH)D assay in vitamin D-insufficient individuals before and after vitamin D supplementation.

Methods: Frozen serum samples were obtained from 88 healthy subjects with self-perceived fatigue and vitamin D-insufficiency <50 nmol L who were randomized to receive a single 100 000 IU dose of vitamin D (n = 48) or placebo (n = 40).

HDL function is impaired in acute myocardial infarction independent of plasma HDL cholesterol levels.

Background: High-density lipoproteins (HDLs) protect against the development of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. HDL function represents an emerging concept in cardiovascular research.

Objective: This study investigated the association between HDL functionality and acute myocardial infarction (MI) independent of HDL-cholesterol plasma levels.

Impaired HDL cholesterol efflux in metabolic syndrome is unrelated to glucose tolerance status: the CODAM study.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and metabolic syndrome (MetS) increase atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk. Cholesterol efflux capacity (CEC) is a key metric of the anti-atherosclerotic functionality of high-density lipoproteins (HDL). The present study aimed to delineate if T2DM and MetS cross-sectionally associate with altered CEC in a large high cardiometabolic risk population.

HDL functionality in South Asians as compared to white Caucasians.

Background And Aims: South Asians have an exceptionally high risk of developing cardiovascular disease compared to white Caucasians. A contributing factor might be dysfunction of high density lipoprotein (HDL). We aimed to compare HDL function in different age groups of both ethnicities.

Dysfunctional high-density lipoproteins in coronary heart disease: implications for diagnostics and therapy.

Low plasma levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol are associated with increased risks of coronary heart disease. HDL mediates cholesterol efflux from macrophages for reverse transport to the liver and elicits many anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative activities which are potentially anti-atherogenic. Nevertheless, HDL has not been successfully targeted by drugs for prevention or treatment of cardiovascular diseases.

HDL Cholesterol Efflux Predicts Graft Failure in Renal Transplant Recipients.

High-density lipoprotein (HDL) particles are involved in the protection against cardiovascular disease by promoting cholesterol efflux, in which accumulated cholesterol is removed from macrophage foam cells. We investigated whether HDL cholesterol efflux capacity is associated with cardiovascular mortality, all-cause mortality, and graft failure in a cohort of renal transplant recipients (n=495, median follow-up 7.0 years).

Increased atherosclerosis in P2Y13/apolipoprotein E double-knockout mice: contribution of P2Y13 to reverse cholesterol transport.

Aims: High-density lipoproteins (HDLs) protect against atherosclerosis mainly due to their function in hepatobiliary reverse cholesterol transport (RCT). This is a process whereby excess cholesterol from peripheral tissues is transported by HDL particles to the liver for further metabolism and biliary excretion. Hepatic uptake of HDL holoparticles involves the P2Y13 receptor, independently of the selective cholesteryl ester uptake mediated by scavenger receptor class B, type I (SR-BI).

HDL and atherothrombotic vascular disease.

High-density lipoproteins (HDLs) exert many beneficial effects which may help to protect against the development or progression of atherosclerosis or even facilitate lesion regression. These activities include promoting cellular cholesterol efflux, protecting low-density lipoproteins (LDLs) from modification, preserving endothelial function, as well as anti-inflammatory and antithrombotic effects. However, questions remain about the relative importance of these activities for atheroprotection.

The HDL anti-inflammatory function is impaired in myocardial infarction and may predict new cardiac events independent of HDL cholesterol.

Background: Intrinsic functional properties of high density lipoproteins (HDL) are considered to be physiologically important for atheroprotection. We compared the HDL anti-inflammatory capacity between patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI) and patients with non-cardiac chest pain, and prospectively determined the association of new major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) with this metric of HDL function.

Methods: A prospective study was carried out in 93 patients referred for acute chest pain (65 patients with acute MI).

Differential impact of hepatic deficiency and total body inhibition of MTP on cholesterol metabolism and RCT in mice.

Because apoB-containing lipoproteins are pro-atherogenic and their secretion by liver and intestine largely depends on microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (MTP) activity, MTP inhibition strategies are actively pursued. How decreasing the secretion of apoB-containing lipoproteins affects intracellular rerouting of cholesterol is unclear. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to determine the effects of reducing either systemic or liver-specific MTP activity on cholesterol metabolism and reverse cholesterol transport (RCT) using a pharmacological MTP inhibitor or a genetic model, respectively.

Lack of P2Y13 in mice fed a high cholesterol diet results in decreased hepatic cholesterol content, biliary lipid secretion and reverse cholesterol transport.

Background: The protective effect of HDL is mostly attributed to their metabolic function in reverse cholesterol transport (RCT), a process whereby excess cellular cholesterol is taken up from peripheral cells, processed in HDL particles, and later delivered to the liver for further metabolism and biliary secretion. Mechanistically, the purinergic P2Y13 ADP-receptor is involved in hepatic HDL endocytosis (i.e.