[Development of an enzymatic fluorescence method for detecting of cholesterols in circulating monocyte]

Since the infiltration of macrophage/monocyte into the arterial intima would be the first and most important step to developing the atherosclerosis, it is important to analyze the lipid composition not only in the circulating blood but also in the cell. We developed the high sensitive enzymatic assay method of total and free cholesterol and employed this assay to the measurement of monocyte cholesterol ester. Diabetic patients had high total cholesterol and cholesterol ester of monocyte. The elevated monocyte cholesterol ester was related to the LDL-cholesterol and Lp(a) concentrations in the plasma.