The use of myeloperoxidase as a risk marker for atherosclerosis.

The mechanisms of atheroma formation and their ensuing complications and methods by which these can be detected have been the focus of several in vitro, in vivo, and clinical studies. Myeloperoxidase (MPO) is a microbicidal hemoprotein that serves as a part of the neutrophils' armory in host defense. However, the oxidation products generated by MPO have now been shown to be related to various stages of atheroma development. MPO and its oxidant products have been shown to be capable of modifying low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and to be enriched in human atheromas and rupture-prone plaques. Clinical studies have suggested an association between levels of MPO and the presence of coronary artery disease and endothelial dysfunction, and have shown a possible additional role to troponin in patients with chest pain.