9 Assay for Serum Glycated Lipoproteins

Modified low density lipoprotein (LDL) is considered to be a risk factor for the development and progression of atherosclerosis (1 -3 ). Glycated LDL and oxidized LDL are the only modified lipoproteins that exist naturally in the human body, but oxidized LDL does not exist in the circulation because of the presence of many antioxidizing agents (4 ). LDL cannot be oxidized until it has entered the arterial wall from the circulation. The only modified LDL that exists in the circulation is glycated LDL. It has been shown to be more easily oxidized than native LDL (5 -7 ). These findings indicate that the glycation of LDL may be the initial step in the development of atherosclerosis.