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To elucidate the physiological role of lipoprotein (a), a new independent atherosclerosis risk factor, the levels of lipoprotein (a) and 5 proteins of an acute phase were measured in acute (myocardial infarction, n = 21) and chronic (non-specific aortoarteritis, n = 15) tissue lesions. Blood was taken for analysis from patients with myocardial infarction when they were admitted to hospital for anginal attacks and then 4 times during a month and from patients with aortoarteritis at the stage of exacerbation 1 month before and after therapy. The findings indicate that in acute and chronic tissue lesions, there is a change in blood lipoprotein (a) levels, which is largely similar to that in the levels of acute phase proteins. One cause of such changes may be an increase in the synthesis of apolipoprotein (a) that is identical to that of other glycoproteins--acute phase proteins--in the reaction of the acute phase and then in the regeneration of damaged tissues.