Lp-PLA2, Plaque Inflammation and Lesion Development Vary Fundamentally Between Different Vascular Sites

L p-PLA2 is also known as platelet activating factor (PAF)acetylhydrolase (PAF-AH) or PLA2G7, owing to its hierarchical position in the PLA2 superfamily. Lp-PLA2 or PAF-AH was discovered based on its ability to catalyze the removal of the acetyl group at the sn-2 position of the potent inflammatory mediator PAF to generate lyso-PAF and acetate. Not surprisingly, Lp-PLA2 was first proposed to have anti-inflammatory properties.1 In general, Lp-PLA2 hydrolyzes glycerophospholipids containing short chain or oxidized fatty acids at the sn-2 position. Substrate hydrolysis catalyzed by Lp-PLA2 generates lysoPAF/lyso phosphatidylcholine (lysoPC) and short and/or oxidized fatty acids, many of which are thought to have pro-inflammatory and pro-oxidative activi-ties.2 Previous studies suggested that upregulation of the Lp-PLA2 gene in the inflamed vascular tissue point toward a potential role of Lp-PLA2 in the development and progressio