Resialylation May Counteract the Development of Atherosclerosis : A Hypothesis

Researcher Gunnar Lindberg follows a troubling pattern: sialic acid (SA) disappears from blood vessels, leaving them “unsialylated,” sticky, and primed for plaque. On the other hand, elevated serum sialic acid is a long-lasting marker of atherosclerosis and its complications. One may speculate that the inverse associations with atherosclerosis risk reflect a common underlying cause. One mission for the elevated serum sialic acid might be to act as a substrate for resialylation of sialic acid-deficient structures and thereby counteract the atherosclerotic process.