[Esterifying activity of the plasma in patients with ischemic heart disease].

An esterifying activity of blood plasma (lecithin-cholesterol-acyl transferase, LCAT) was decreased in men with ischemic heart disease (IHD) and coronary atherosclerosis as compared with patients without any symptoms of IHD; the decrease of the activity was most distinct in patients with low level of cholesterol in high density lipoproteins (HDL) and with hyperlipidemia. In these patients phospholipid composition of HDL subfractions was altered: a decrease in the lecithin ratio, increase in the content of sphingomyelin and corresponding decrease in the ratio lecithin/sphingomyelin. Decrease in content of HDL cholesterol and in concentration of apo A-I in blood, plasma, alterations in phospholipid composition of HDL subfractions and in the rate of fatty acids unsaturation of HDL phospholipids in the patients with IHD were considered as factors responsible for the decrease of LCAT activity, which may aggravate the atherosclerotic impairment of arteries.