Departments of Cell Biology and Cardiovascular Medicine, Center for Cardiovascular Diagnostics and Prevention, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH.
Numerous lines of evidence implicate a role for Myeloperoxidase (MPO) in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Enriched within vulnerable plaque, Myeloperoxidase MPO serves as an enzymatic source of eicosanoids and bioactive lipids and generates atherogenic forms of both low- and high-density lipoproteins. These factors likely contribute to clinical studies demonstrating that increased systemic levels of Myeloperoxidase MPO and its oxidation products predict increased cardiovascular risk. As a result, interest has focused on the potential to target MPO for the development of new risk markers, imaging, and therapies to prevent cardiovascular events.
