Preliminary research suggests that use of reconstituted HDL may have some benefit in coronary atherosclerosis, according to a JAMA study published online March 26.
The study is being released early to coincide with its presentation at the American College of Cardiology's annual conference.
There is a strong inverse association between high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (the "good" cholesterol) and risk of coronary atherosclerotic disease, according to background information in the article. Preliminary data have suggested that HDL infusions can reverse atherosclerosis (the progressive thickening and hardening of the arterial walls as a result of fat deposits on their inner lining).
Jean-Claude Tardif, M.D., of the Montreal Heart Institute, University of Montreal, and colleagues with the Effect of rHDL on Atherosclerosis-Safety and Efficacy (ERASE) study assessed the effects of infusion with a reconstituted HDL, CSL-111, on coronary atherosclerosis. CSL-111 consists of apolipoprotein A-I from human plasma combined with soybean phosphatidylcholine (a type of lipid molecule; the combination product) that chemically and biologically resembles HDL. Between July 2005 and October 2006, intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and quantitative coronary angiography were performed on 183 patients to assess coronary atheroma (plaque deposit) at baseline and 2 to 3 weeks after the last study infusion. Sixty patients were randomly assigned to receive four weekly infusions of placebo (saline), 111 to receive 40 mg/kg of reconstituted HDL (CSL-111); and 12 to receive 80 mg/kg of CSL-111. This highest dosage was discontinued early because of indications it caused a certain elevation in liver function tests, suggesting possible harmful liver effects.