Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2: a potential new risk factor for coronary artery disease and a therapeutic target.

The recognition that atherosclerosis represents an inflammatory disease has begun to shift interest towards novel therapies that could specifically target the underlying inflammatory component of atherogenesis. Like low-density lipoprotein, an ideal new drug target would be a modifiable plasma risk factor that not only reflects the ongoing inflammatory process but also actively promotes it. Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2, also known as platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase, is a new risk factor that may have the potential to fulfil these requirements.