VARIATIONS IN SERUM LEVELS OF DOLICHOL AND ITS OCCURRENCE IN HUMAN ATHEROSCLEROTIC PLAQUES

Nonsaponifiable lipids of human atherosclerotic plaques obtained at au topsy from patients ranging in age from 45 to 85 years were analyzed b y high pressure liquid chromatography. All plaques contained dolichol, ranging from 125 to 460 mu g/g wet weight. Dolichol was also present in normal aortic tissue, but the amounts were generally less than in p laques. To investigate the source of the dolichol in plaques, blood se rum was analyzed from bath volunteer subjects and hypercholesterolemic patients. The levels of dolichol were generally higher in hypercholes terolemic compared with normal subjects, but were not correlated with levels of total or lipoprotein cholesterol. The homologue pattern of d olichol in atherosclerotic plaques differed from that of aorta and blo od. The source of dolichol in plaques and its significance remains to be established.