Key points are not available for this paper at this time.
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Serum amyloid A (SAA) is a family of acute-phase proteins which are shown to correlate with cardiovascular disease, but whether this SAA contributes causally to atherosclerosis development or reflects underlying disease or risk factors remains unclear. RECENT FINDINGS: SAA has been detected within atherosclerotic lesions and within adipose tissue where it is hypothesized that it may play a contributory role in disease development. In the acute-phase response SAA is synthesized by the liver and transported primarily in association with HDL. However, there is a growing literature suggesting that localized synthesis of SAA within the vasculature, or adipose tissue, may play a distinct role in disease development. Furthermore, SAA can be found in association with apoB-containing lipoproteins, in which its biological activity may be different. SUMMARY: This review will discuss recent experimental evidence supporting a causal role of SAA with atherosclerosis.
King et al. (Fri,) studied this question.