Abstract 118: Phospholipid Transfer Protein, High Density Lipoprotein Particle Concentration and Cardiovascular Disease Risk

High density lipoprotein (HDL) plays a key role in reverse cholesterol transport from arteries and protects against development of atherosclerosis by removing cholesterol from lipid loaded macrophages in atherosclerotic lesions. Low levels of HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C) strongly associate with increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in clinical and epidemiological studies. However, recent trials with drugs that elevate HDL-C failed to reduce CVD events. In contrast recent studies strongly suggested that HDL sterol efflux capacity-its ability to remove cholesterol from macrophages-predict incident cardiovascular disease risk. Moreover, CVD risk strongly associates with low levels of HDL particle concentration (HDL-P). However, the relations between HDL efflux capacity, HDL particle concentration and HDL composition are not well understood. Using proteomics analysis, we have previously identified over 50 proteins on HDL. Here we investigated the relationship of HDL composition, and HDL-P in two independe...