Center of Child Health Management, Children's Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215025, China.
Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, Jiangsu Province, China.
Biometals. 2023 Jun;36(3):509-519. doi: 10.1007/s10534-022-00441-1. Epub 2022 Sep 2.
Atherosclerosis (AS) is a common pathological basis for many cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and result in high mortality and immense health and economic burdens worldwide. Early prevention, diagnosis, and treatment are promising approaches for stemming the development and progression of AS. Lactoferrin (Lf) is an iron-binding glycoprotein belonging to the transferrin family. It is widely found in body fluids such as digestive tract fluids, tears, and milk. Lf possesses anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, immunoregulatory, antioxidant and many other physiological functions. The serum Lf level is reportedly associated with the risk of AS and AS-related CVDs. Lf administration is closely involved in several mechanisms, including cholesterol metabolism, foam cell formation, ICAM-1 expression, homocysteine and leptin levels, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant function. Moreover, Lf has also been applied in the sythesis of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents to detect AS. Lf plays an important role in AS and may therefore be used in its diagnosis and treatment. Thus, this article aims to review the association between Lf and the risk of AS and AS-related CVDs, the mechanisms of Lf administration on AS, and its potential application in AS diagnosis.
动脉粥样硬化（AS）是许多心血管疾病（CVDs）的常见病理基础，导致全球死亡率高，健康和经济负担巨大。早期预防、诊断和治疗是阻止 AS 发展和进展的有希望的方法。乳铁蛋白（Lf）是一种属于转铁蛋白家族的铁结合糖蛋白。它广泛存在于消化道液、眼泪和牛奶等体液中。Lf 具有抗炎、抗菌、免疫调节、抗氧化等多种生理功能。据报道，血清 Lf 水平与 AS 及 AS 相关 CVDs 的风险相关。Lf 的给药与几种机制密切相关，包括胆固醇代谢、泡沫细胞形成、ICAM-1 表达、同型半胱氨酸和瘦素水平、抗炎和抗氧化功能。此外，Lf 还应用于磁共振成像（MRI）造影剂的合成，以检测 AS。Lf 在 AS 中起重要作用，因此可能用于其诊断和治疗。因此，本文旨在综述 Lf 与 AS 及 AS 相关 CVDs 风险之间的关系、Lf 给药对 AS 的作用机制及其在 AS 诊断中的潜在应用。
