LRG1 promotes atherosclerosis by inducing macrophage M1-like polarization

Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the arterial wall characterized by the accumulation of cholesterol- rich lipoproteins in macrophages. How macrophages commit to proinflammatory polarization under atherosclerosis conditions is not clear. Report here that the level of a circulating protein, leucine- rich alpha- 2 glycoprotein 1 (LRG1), is elevated in the atherosclerotic tissue and serum samples from patients with coronary ization through the activation of extracellular signal- regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) and delayed atherogenesis progression and reduced levels of macrophage- related proinflamM1- like polarization in vitro and conferred therapeutic benefits to animals with ApoE deficiency- induced atherosclerosis. LRG1 may therefore serve as an additional biomarker patients by mitigating the proinflammatory response of macrophages.