Plasma L5 levels are elevated in ischemic stroke patients and enhance platelet aggregation

Abstract

L5, the most electronegative and atherogenic subfraction of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), induces platelet activation. We hypothesized that plasma L5 levels are increased in acute ischemic stroke patients and examined whether lectin-like oxidized LDL receptor-1 (LOX-1), the receptor for L5 on endothelial cells and platelets, plays a critical role in stroke. Because amyloid b (Ab) stimulates platelet aggregation, we studied whether L5 and Ab function synergistically to induce prothrombotic pathways leading to stroke. Levels of plasma L5, serum Ab, and platelet LOX-1 expression were significantly higher in acute ischemic stroke patients than in controls without metabolic syndrome (P