Tertov VV, Kalenich OS, Orekhov AN
Exp Mol Pathol 1992 Aug 57:1 22-8

Abstract

The total lipid content of white blood cells from healthy donors and patients with angiographically documented atherosclerosis of coronary arteries (CHD patients) was determined by flow cytofluorometry. The cells of donors were homogeneous with respect to intracellular lipid level. However, two subpopulations of white blood cells were identified in CHD patients based on their lipid content. The first population was identical to cells of donors with regard to lipid content, whereas cells of the second subpopulation (10 to 60% of the total cell number) had a four- to eightfold greater amount of intracellular lipid. The main classes of lipids accumulated in these cells were triglycerides and cholesteryl esters. It is postulated that the occurrence of lipid-laden cells in the blood may be used as an indicator of the presence of atherosclerotic lesions in human coronary arteries.