Tertov VV, Kacharava AG, Saiadian KhS, Serebrennikov SG, Liakishev AA, Kozlov SG, Gratsiansky NA, Rogova EM, Bocharova OI, Orekhov AN
Kardiologiia 1989 Aug 29:8 35-8

Abstract

In most patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) and angiographically documented stenosed 1-3 coronary arteries, serum contained cholesterol (C) in the circulating immune complexes (CIC), cholesterol levels in these complexes being directly related to serum atherogenicity, i.e. to their ability to cause a 2-5-fold accumulation of lipids in cultured smooth muscle cells (SMC) of the uninvolved human aortic intima (r = 0.91). Removal of IgG and IgM from the patients' sera led to a 75 and 37% decrease, respectively, in their atherogenic properties displayed in cultured SMC. Much more decrease in the atherogenic potential of the sera was seen in 2.5% polyethylene glycol-induced precipitation of CIC. At the same time, incubation of human aortic intimal SMC with CIC isolated from the atherogenic sera from CHD patients caused a 1.5-3-fold increase in intracellular C levels. It was suggested that CIC cholesterol was a determinant of atherogenicity of the sera from patients with coronary atherosclerosis.