Genes of cholesterol metabolism in human atheroma: overexpression of perilipin and genes promoting cholesterol storage and repression of ABCA1 expression.

Objective: Accumulation of cholesterol in foam cells of atheroma plaques depends on the balance between uptake and efflux of cholesterol. It may also depend on proteins surrounding lipid droplets, adipophilin, and perilipins. They favor triglyceride storage in adipocytes and could play a similar role for cholesterol in atheroma.