Paraoxonase activity in human pericardial fluid: its relationship to coronary artery disease.

Pericardial fluid paraoxonase activity was compared with 3 biochemical markers of atherosclerosis (HDL, LDL/HDL ratio and Apolipoprotein A-I) and a significant association was found. When the paraoxonase activity in pericardial fluid samples was separated into 2 groups according to the degree of coronary atherosclerosis (slight and severe), most of the cases showing low levels of paraoxonase activity also showed severe coronary atherosclerosis. In addition, paraoxonase activity in pericardial fluid was found to be statistically correlated with HDL levels, which agrees with the results reported in serum.