• The Relationship Between the Receptor Role of Sortilin on the Cell Surface and Atherosclerosis in Hypercholesterolemic Conditions
  • Ali Nosrati Andevari,1,* Najmeh Ebrahimzadeh Shahandashti,2 Durdi Qujeq,3
    1. Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Afzalipour Faculty of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
    2. Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Babol Branch, Islamic Azad University, Babol, Iran
    3. Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran


  • Introduction: Atherosclerosis is a chronic and progressive cardiovascular disease characterized by the accumulation of plaques composed of cholesterol, other lipids, and inflammatory cells in the arterial walls. Hypercholesterolemia, which leads to increased levels of low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), plays a pivotal role in the development of atherosclerosis. Sortilin is a member of the vacuolar protein sorting 10 proteins (VPS10Ps) family that was first isolated from the human brain. Sortilin is a type 1 transmembrane glycoprotein expressed by the SORT1 gene. Given that this protein is upregulated in the liver and macrophages, in this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between sortilin and atherosclerosis in hypercholesterolemic conditions.
  • Methods: This review examined 35 original and review articles extracted from PubMed and Google Scholar databases using the keywords Sortilin, Atherosclerosis, LDL-C, SORT1, Liver, and Macrophage.
  • Results: According to studies, sortilin is present in small amounts on the surface of liver cells. It enables LDL-C to enter cells independently of the LDL receptor (LDLR) in hypercholesterolemia, thereby mitigating blood cholesterol levels. However, in macrophages, the receptor role of sortilin leads to the stimulation of foam cell formation and atherosclerotic complications in hypercholesterolemic conditions.
  • Conclusion: Sortilin acts as a cell surface receptor in hepatocytes to attenuate hypercholesterolemia and subsequently the process of atherosclerosis. However, as a cell surface receptor in macrophages, it exacerbates atherosclerosis by promoting the formation of foam cells.
  • Keywords: Sortilin, Atherosclerosis, LDL-C, Liver, and Macrophage