Dyslipidemia, characterized by a high level of
lipids (
cholesterol,
triglycerides, or both), can increase the risk of developing and progressing
atherosclerosis. As
atherosclerosis progresses, the number and severity of aterial plagues increases with greater risk of
myocardial infarction, a major contributor to cardiovascular mortality.
Atherosclerosis progresses in four phases, namely endothelial dysfunction, fatty streak formation, lesion progression and plaque
rupture, and eventually
thrombosis and arterial obstruction. With greater understanding of the
pathological processes underlying
atherosclerosis, researchers have identified that
lipoproteins play a significant role in the development of
atherosclerosis. In particular,
apolipoprotein B (
apoB)-containing
lipoproteins have been shown to associate with
atherosclerosis. Oxidized
low-density lipoproteins (ox-LDLs) also contribute to the progression of
atherosclerosis whereas
high-density lipoproteins (HDL) contribute to the removal of
cholesterol from macrophages thereby inhibiting the formation of foam cells. Given these known associations,
lipoproteins may have potential as
biomarkers for predicting risk associated with
atherosclerotic plaques or may be targets as novel therapeutic agents. As such, the rapid development of drugs targeting
lipoprotein metabolism may lead to novel treatments for
atherosclerosis. A comprehensive review of
lipoprotein function and their role in
atherosclerosis, along with the latest development of
lipoprotein targeted treatment, is timely. This review focuses on the functions of different
lipoproteins and their involvement in
atherosclerosis. Further, diagnostic and therapeutic potential are highlighted giving insight into novel
lipoprotein-targetted approaches to treat
atherosclerosis.