[Inflammatory response, cholesterol metabolism, and arteriosclerosis]

The goal of the present review consists on the relationship between inflammatory disorders, such as that represented by systemic granulomatous diseases like sarcoidosis, and the cholesterol metabolism and its implication in the atherosclerosis process. Serum amyloid A is an acute phase reactant that transiently binds to the high density lipoproteins during an inflammatory response. Serum amyloid A may act either displacing apo A-I, which in turn result in increased catabolism of high density lipoproteins, or inhibiting lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase activity which leads to low levels of esterified serum cholesterol. This lipoprotein alteration together with a direct effect of the serum amyloid A on the endothelium of the atheromatous plaque suggest a potential pathophysiological link between the inflammatory responses expressed by the serum concentrations of amyloid A and the development of the atherosclerotic process.