Detecting oxidized low-density lipoprotein may be the key to identifying and monitoring patients at risk of coronary artery disease

The Oxidized LDL Triple Marker Test that can measure circulating levels of oxidized low-density lipoprotein, may be a better way to identify individuals at risk of coronary artery disease than the current primary clinical laboratory test.

Coronary artery disease (CAD) can be identified and monitored in patients by measuring low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels. However, a previous study revealed that almost half of the patients with coronary events had healthy levels of LDL, indicating that this may not be the most accurate way of predicting who may be at risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

The Oxidized LDL Triple Marker Test, developed by Shiel Medical Laboratory (NY, USA), can be used to overcome this limitation by identifying a combination of novel biomarkers. One of these biomarkers is for oxidized low-density lipoprotein (OxLDL), a plaque-specific protein that has been linked to atherogenesis. OxLDL is believed to lead to the deposition of plaque in artery walls, but it is not measured by other commonly used CAD tests.

In a study assessing 921 patients published in 2006, the importance of measuring additional biomarkers in CAD was demonstrated. Researchers found that CAD was six-times more likely to be successfully indicated when measuring OxLDL compared to measuring LDL levels alone. Two of the other biomarkers that the Oxidized LDL Triple Marker Test measures are high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein. In the same study, researchers found that by using a combination of biomarkers, including OxLDL, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, CAD was 16-times more likely to be detected than by LDL measurement alone.

Sources: Oxidized LDL Triple Marker Test; Johnston N, Jernberg T, Lagerqvist B, Siegbahn A, Wallentin L. Improved identification of patients with coronary artery disease by the use of new lipid and lipoprotein biomarkers. Am. J. Cardiol. 97(5), 640–645 (2006).