title: Hypercholesterolemia, low density lipoprotein receptor and proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin-type 9.
abstract: Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is the main cause of mortality and morbidity in the world. Plasma levels of low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) are positively correlated with the risk of atherosclerosis. High plasma LDL concentrations in patients with hypercholesterolemia lead to build-up of LDL in the inner walls of the arteries, which becomes oxidized and promotes the formation of foam cells, consequently initiating atherosclerosis. Plasma LDL is mainly cleared through the LDL receptor (LDLR) pathway. Mutations in the LDLR cause familiar hypercholesterolemia and increase the risk of premature coronary heart disease. The expression of LDLR is regulated at the transcriptional level via the sterol regulatory element binding protein 2 (SREBP-2) and at the posttranslational levels mainly through proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin-type 9 (PCSK9) and inducible degrader of the LDLR (IDOL). In this review, we summarize the latest advances in the studies of PCSK9.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Pediatrics and Biochemistry, Group on the Molecular and Cell Biology of Lipids, University of Alberta , Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2S2 , Canada .
authors.forename: Hong-Mei
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.affiliation: Departments of Pediatrics and Biochemistry, Group on the Molecular and Cell Biology of Lipids, University of Alberta , Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2S2 , Canada .
authors.forename: Da-Wei
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Zhang
keywords: atherosclerosis; hypercholesterolemia; low density lipoprotein receptor; proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin-type 9; statin