Atherosclerotic markers in human blood - a study in patients with familial hypercholesterolemia

Atherosclerosis is characterized by thickening of the arterial wall and is the primary cause of the coronary artery disease and cerebrovascular disease, two of the most common causes of illness and death worldwide. One of the leading risk factors for development of atherosclerosis is familial hypercholesterolemia. Familial hypercholesterolemia is an autosomal dominant disorder, which is caused by mutations mainly located in the low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) gene. It is characterized by elevated levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, the presence of tendon xanthomas, and premature cardiovascular disease. Aim of this study was to find atherosclerotic markers in white blood cells of patients compared to healthy controls. None of these patients exhibited symptoms of atherosclerosis by standard diagnostic methods; however, transcriptome analysis of blood RNA indicated changes in ubiquitin proteolysis and cell adhesion system as expected in initiation steps of atherosclerosis.

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