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Walk the Even Hospital Database by book and chapter — the raw source passages that ground Ask, DDx, and the rest.
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Both cholesterol esters and triacylglycerols are insoluble in water (plasma); hence, they are packaged as lipoproteins comprising an inner core of cholesterol esters and triacylglycerols with a surface coat of apolipoproteins, free cholesterol, and phospholipids. Packaged as lipoproteins, they can be transported to various tissues where needed. By varying the lipid and protein concentrations, up to 5 different lipoproteins can be produced, including chylomicrons, very-low-density lipoproteins (VLDL), intermediate-density lipoproteins (IDL), low-density lipoproteins (LDL), and high-density lipoproteins (HDL). LDL is the predominant carrier of serum cholesterol (around 67%) and delivers it to tissues of need, such as the adrenal glands, gonads, and other tissues. With a density of 1.019 to 1.063 g/ml, LDL contains 20% protein and 50% cholesterol (cholesterol esters and free cholesterol) and displays beta mobility on electrophoresis. This review focuses on LDL, especially its biochemistry, measurement, and clinical significance.[1][2][3][4]