The Role of Cell Surface Receptors in Lp(a) Catabolism

Lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] is a unique variant of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) which imparts a significant risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Lp(a) is defined by the large apolipoprotein(a) [apo(a)] glycoprotein which is polymorphic in size and is synthesised in the liver before addition to LDL. The main clearance route for Lp(a) is via the liver with some role for the kidneys. Unlike LDL, there is no clear pathway of catabolism for Lp(a). Both liver and kidney express a range of different receptors which bind to various ligands on the Lp(a) molecule to promote Lp(a) uptake. In this chapter, we give an overview of the various cell surface receptors reported to be involved in Lp(a) catabolism.