Cholesterol efflux capacity: An introduction for clinicians

Malcolm Anastasius; Maaike Kockx; Wendy Jessup; David Sullivan; Kerry-Anne Rye; Leonard Kritharides

doi:10.1016/j.ahj.2016.07.005

Cholesterol efflux capacity: An introduction for clinicians

Am Heart J. 2016 Oct:180:54-63. doi: 10.1016/j.ahj.2016.07.005. Epub 2016 Jul 14.

Authors

Malcolm Anastasius¹, Maaike Kockx¹, Wendy Jessup¹, David Sullivan², Kerry-Anne Rye³, Leonard Kritharides⁴

Affiliations

¹ ANZAC Research Institute, Concord Repatriation General Hospital, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
² Department of Biochemistry, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
³ School of Medical Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
⁴ ANZAC Research Institute, Concord Repatriation General Hospital, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Cardiology Department, Concord Repatriation General Hospital, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Electronic address: leonard.kritharides@sydney.edu.au.

PMID: 27659883
DOI: 10.1016/j.ahj.2016.07.005

Abstract

Epidemiologic studies have shown an inverse correlation between high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (HDL-C) levels and cardiovascular disease outcomes. However, the hypothesis of a causal relationship between HDL-C and cardiovascular disease has been challenged by genetic and clinical studies. Serum cholesterol efflux capacity (CEC) is an important measure of HDL function in humans. Recent large clinical studies have shown a correlation between in vitro CEC and cardiovascular disease prevalence and incidence, which appears to be independent of HDL-C concentration. The present review summarizes recent large clinical studies and introduces important methodological considerations. Further studies are required to standardize and establish the reproducibility of this measure of HDL function and clarify whether modulating CEC will emerge as a useful therapeutic target.

Publication types

Review
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Autoimmune Diseases / metabolism
Biological Transport
Cardiovascular Diseases / blood
Cardiovascular Diseases / metabolism*
Cells, Cultured
Cholesterol / blood*
Cholesterol, HDL / metabolism*
Diabetes Mellitus / metabolism
Humans
In Vitro Techniques

Substances

Cholesterol, HDL
Cholesterol