The Lox-1 Scavenger Receptor and Atherosclerotic Plaque Rupture

Atherosclerosis is a chronic systemic inflammatory disease; the end-stage of which is plaque rupture. This depends on plaque composition and vulnerability rather than the severity of stenosis [1]. Vulnerable plaques are associated with an intense inflammatory response and a thin fibrous cap [2]. Remodeling and degradation of the extracellular matrix (ECM) and fibrous cap are maintained by the products of inflammatory cells [3]. The lectin-like oxidized low-density lipoprotein scavenger receptor (LOX-1) is an increasing focus of attention for molecular, cellular, and clinical studies. Recent genetic studies have identified a strong link between several single nucleotide polymorphisms on the LOX-1 gene and the risk of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) [4]. We review how the LOX-1 receptor and its ligand, oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL), are implicated at critical stages of plaque destabilization and rupture.