Abstract
Apart from cholesterol, many non-cholesterol sterols (cholesterol precursors and phytosterols) can be found in human plasma and these sterols serve many important functions in human organism. The cholesterol molecule is used for cell membranes, signalization, bile acids and steroid hormones.
The general concepts of homeostasis of cholesterol are described in monograph. The clinical importance of non-cholesterol sterols rises with the effort to discover the causes of atherosclerosis.
Studies in the last part of monograph represent clinical potential of analyses of non-cholesterol sterols. In well-defined groups, these analytes enable us to assess the changes in homeostasis of cholesterol.
Furthermore, high concentrations of some plasma sterols could point to the inborn errors of cholesterol biosynthesis, transport or metabolization. Nevertheless, the authors hope that the presented facts can broaden the reader.s perspective about the area, which is usually hidden beneath the cholesterol molecule.