Over the past several years, considerable evidence has been obtained in support of the hypothesis that oxidants generated by the heme enzyme myeloperoxidase (MPO, EC1.11.2.2) play a key role in oxidation reaction of the artery wall. The enzyme, abundantly present in neutrophils and, to a lesser extent, in monocytes, is released during infl ammatory activation of immune cells. MPO produces hypochlorous acid (HOCl) by the reaction of hydrogen Abstract Oxidation of LDL by the myeloperoxidase (MPO)-H 2 O 2 -chloride system is a key event in the development of atherosclerosis. The present study aimed at investigating the interaction of MPO with native and modifi ed LDL and at revealing posttranslational modifi cations on apoB-100 (the unique apolipoprotein of LDL) in vitro and in vivo. Using amperometry, we demonstrate that MPO activity increases up to 90% when it is adsorbed at the surface of LDL. This phenomenon is apparently refl ected by local structural changes in MPO observed by circular dichroism. Using MS, we further analyzed in vitro modifi cations of apoB-100 by hypochlorous acid (HOCl) generated by the MPO-H 2 O 2 -chloride system or added as a reagent. A total of 97 peptides containing modifi ed residues could be identifi ed. Furthermore, differences were observed between LDL oxidized by reagent HOCl or HOCl generated by the MPO-H 2 O 2 -chloride system. Finally, LDL was isolated from patients with high cardiovascular risk to confi rm that our in vitro fi ndings are also relevant in vivo. We show that several HOCl-mediated modifi cations of apoB-100 identifi ed in vitro were also present on LDL isolated from patients who have increased levels of plasma MPO and MPO-modifi ed LDL. In conclusion, these data emphasize the specifi city of MPO to oxidize LDL. -Delporte,