Mechanisms of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)-Induced Foam Cell Formation

There is currently little understanding of macrophage cholesterol homeostasis and foam cell
formation across the spectrum of CKD. We hypothesize that an inverse relationship exist
between the severity of CKD and processes underlying foam cell formation, and that the
relationship becomes independent of serum lipoprotein levels as renal function declines. We
propose to systematically examine scavenger receptors and cholesterol uptake as well as
cholesterol transporters and efflux mechanisms in individuals with normal renal function,
patients with moderate CKD and those with ESRD-HD. We further propose to determine if
processed contributing to foam cell formation are related to the plasma lipid profile and if
the relationship is modified by co-morbidities, such as diabetes, obesity, systemic
inflammation which are common in this population and directly influence vascular integrity.
These data will be critically important to understand when the abnormality starts and will
provide crucial information.