THE DIAGNOSIS, PREVENTION, AND/OR TREATMENT OF ATHEROSCLEROSIS AND UNDERLYING AND/OR RELATED DISEASES

摘要

Complement is recognized as an important, humoral defense system involved in the innate (nonspecific) recognition and elimination of microbial invaders, other foreign particles or molecules, and antigen-antibody complexes form th e body. The present invention makes use of the surprising notion that the handling of lipids by the body, rather than its antimicrobial activity, is t he primary and most ancient function of the complement system. Consequently, atherosclerosis as observed in disorders associated with disturbed lipid metabolism (familial combined hyperlipemia [FCHL], postprandial hyperlipidemia, hypertriglyceridemia with low levels of HDL cholesterol, and insulin resistance associated with type-II diabetes and obesity), must be ascribed to either genetic or acquired defects in ancient (activatory and/or regulatory) complement components. Based on this new insight, novel preventi ve measures and treatment modalities of disturbed lipid metabolism are introduc ed.