Mechanisms
CETP is localized to brain astrocytes, with increased expression in Alzheimer's disease gray matter (Acta Neuropathol 1995)
Original title: Astroglial localization of cholesteryl ester transfer protein in normal and Alzheimer's disease brain tissues
Using anti-CETP antibodies, researchers examined CETP-like immunolabeling in liver and brain tissue from non-neurological and Alzheimer's disease cases. Positive staining was seen in round cells of the liver sinusoid and in brain astrocytes, and in non-neurological brains, CETP-positive astrocytes were preferentially located in white matter. In Alzheimer's disease brain tissue, many reactive astrocytes in both gray and white matter showed CETP-like immunoreactivity, an expanded distribution compared with normal brain, leading the authors to propose that CETP-positive astrocytes may play a role in Alzheimer's disease pathology such as tissue repair.
Original abstract
Cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) is a plasma glycoprotein that facilitates the transfer of cholesteryl esters, phospholipids and triglycerides between the lipoproteins, and regulates plasma high-density lipoprotein levels. We examined CETP-like immunolabeling in non-neurological and Alzheimer's disease (AD) liver and brain tissues. The anti-CETP antibodies showed positive staining in round cells in the liver sinusoid and in brain astrocytes. In the brains of non-neurological cases, positively stained astrocytes were preferentially distributed in the white matter. In AD tissue, many reactive astrocytes in the gray matter as well as the white matter astrocytes had CETP-like immunoreactivity. CETP-positive astrocytes may play a role for AD pathology such as tissue repair.
Summary written by cetpinhibition.org from the published abstract; figures as published. Page updated 19 August 2026. Methods.