Paraoxonase (PON) is a group of
proteins present in three forms (PON1, PON2, PON3) encoded by genes PON1, PON2, and PON3. PON1 and PON3 are plasma
enzymes, structurally and functionally related to HDL, while PON2 is characterized by an intracellular location. Many polymorphisms of PON have been observed. The most widely and accurately described is the single nucleotide polymorphism, which impacts the conversion of
glutamine (Q) to
arginine (R) and has the effect of altering the hydrolytic activity of the PON1 form. Each PON form plays an important role in the human body, and they exhibit
antioxidant, antiatherosclerotic, and anti-inflammatory influences. The PON family inhibits
LDL oxidative modification and suppresses the differentiation of monocytes into macrophages, which is the first stage in the development of
atherosclerosis. Furthermore, PON1 prevents the accumulation of
oxidized LDL and stimulates
cholesterol efflux from macrophages. Establishing these functions has led researchers to study the relationship between PON family and
lipids in healthy subjects and in patients with diagnosed
cardiovascular diseases. There is a certain relation between PON1 polymorphism and HDL and
LDL particles. The PON1192RR genotype is associated with lower HDL levels and higher
LDL levels. Lower concentrations of
LDL in people with genotype PON155LL have been noted. These dependencies have been observed among healthy people, but the relation disappears in patients with
cardiovascular diseases.