Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy.
Center for the Study of Atherosclerosis, E. Bassini Hospital, Cinisello Balsamo, 20092 Milan, Italy.
Cells. 2021 Apr 29;10(5):1061. doi: 10.3390/cells10051061.
High density lipoproteins (HDL) are heterogeneous particles composed by a vast array of proteins and lipids, mostly recognized for their cardiovascular (CV) protective effects. However, evidences from basic to clinical research have contributed to depict a role of HDL in the modulation of immune-inflammatory response thus paving the road to investigate their involvement in other diseases beyond those related to the CV system. HDL-C levels and HDL composition are indeed altered in patients with autoimmune diseases and usually associated to disease severity. At molecular levels, HDL have been shown to modulate the anti-inflammatory potential of endothelial cells and, by controlling the amount of cellular cholesterol, to interfere with the signaling through plasma membrane lipid rafts in immune cells. These findings, coupled to observations acquired from subjects carrying mutations in genes related to HDL system, have helped to elucidate the contribution of HDL beyond cholesterol efflux thus posing HDL-based therapies as a compelling interventional approach to limit the inflammatory burden of immune-inflammatory diseases.
高密度脂蛋白（HDL）是由多种蛋白质和脂质组成的异质颗粒，主要因其对心血管（CV）的保护作用而被认可。然而，从基础研究到临床研究的证据都有助于描绘 HDL 在免疫炎症反应调节中的作用，从而为研究其在 CV 系统以外的其他疾病中的作用铺平了道路。自身免疫性疾病患者的 HDL-C 水平和 HDL 组成确实发生了改变，并且通常与疾病的严重程度相关。在分子水平上，已经表明 HDL 可以调节内皮细胞的抗炎潜力，并通过控制细胞胆固醇的量来干扰免疫细胞中质膜脂筏的信号转导。这些发现，加上从携带与 HDL 系统相关基因突变的受试者中获得的观察结果，有助于阐明 HDL 在胆固醇外排以外的作用，从而使基于 HDL 的治疗成为限制免疫炎症性疾病炎症负担的一种有吸引力的干预方法。
