Raised serum level of lipoprotein-a is a predictor of

Lipoprotein - (a) Lp (a) is a lipoprotein similar to LDL in lipid and protein composition, but it contains an additional protein called apolipoprotein (a). An elevated level of Lp (a) is associated with increased risk of atherosclerosis. How does Lp (a) increase the risk of atherosclerosis? In atherosclerosis, there is hypercoagulability and hypofibrinolysis due to associated inflammation (remind you-atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory condition). So there is consistent deposition of fibrin. Lp (a) has close homology to plasminogen and it competes with plasminogen for binding on the surface of endothelium. This result in the reduced generation of plasmin from plasminogen → Inhibition of endogenous fibrinolytic system. This enhances further fibrin deposition. In addition, Lp (a) is accumulated in atherosclerotic lesions. So, Lp (a) causes impaired cell surface fibrinolysis and progressive atherosclerosis.