177
Atherosclerosis, 30 (1978) 177-183 0 Elsevier/North-Holland Scientific Publishers,
Ltd
CHOLESTEROL CONTENT OF THE HUMAN ATRIUM IS RELATED TO PLASMA LIPOPROTEIN LEVELS
P.J. NESTEL
and ANDREA
POYSER
Baker Medical Research Institute, Commercial Road, Prahran, Victoria 3181 (Australia) (Received 30 December, 1977) (Revised, received 5 February, 1978) (Accepted 8 February, 1978)
Summary
The cholesterol content of cells is thought to be strongly influenced by the plasma lipoproteins. We have examined this by measuring the concentration of cholesterol in the atria1 wall, a tissue that is directly exposed to the lipoproteins in plasma. Atrial biopsies were obtained during coronary artery surgery from 38 subjects whose plasma lipoproteins had been measured previously. Analysis of the characteristics of the 10 subjects with the highest atria1 cholesterol concentrations (approximately the upper quartile) showed that each of them also showed lipoprotein lipid levels that exceeded the group mean by one standard deviation; 5 showed raised LDL cholesterol (>198 mg/lOO ml), 2 showed raised VLDL triglyceride (>267 mg/lOO ml) plus lowered HDL cholesterol (
Atherosclerosis, 30 (1978) 177-183 0 Elsevier/North-Holland Scientific Publishers,
Ltd
CHOLESTEROL CONTENT OF THE HUMAN ATRIUM IS RELATED TO PLASMA LIPOPROTEIN LEVELS
P.J. NESTEL
and ANDREA
POYSER
Baker Medical Research Institute, Commercial Road, Prahran, Victoria 3181 (Australia) (Received 30 December, 1977) (Revised, received 5 February, 1978) (Accepted 8 February, 1978)
Summary
The cholesterol content of cells is thought to be strongly influenced by the plasma lipoproteins. We have examined this by measuring the concentration of cholesterol in the atria1 wall, a tissue that is directly exposed to the lipoproteins in plasma. Atrial biopsies were obtained during coronary artery surgery from 38 subjects whose plasma lipoproteins had been measured previously. Analysis of the characteristics of the 10 subjects with the highest atria1 cholesterol concentrations (approximately the upper quartile) showed that each of them also showed lipoprotein lipid levels that exceeded the group mean by one standard deviation; 5 showed raised LDL cholesterol (>198 mg/lOO ml), 2 showed raised VLDL triglyceride (>267 mg/lOO ml) plus lowered HDL cholesterol (
