Aim To study the characteristic of liver X receptor(LXR)α and its target gene expression and cholesterol efflux from human macrophages of coronary atherosclerotic disease. Methods Human monocyte-derived macrophages from coronary atherosclerotic disease(CAD) patients and controls was collected.Before being detected apolipoprotein A_Ⅰ-mediated human monocyte-derived macrophage cholesterol efflux and LXRα and mRNA expression of its target gene,the macrophages was induced with or without TO-901317. Results Compared with control normal macrophage,the mRNA levels of LXRα and its target gene expression was changed,and the macrophage cholesterol efflux was decreased.After LXR activated,the reactive capacity was also decreased from human monocyte-derived macrophage of CAD patients. Conclusions The changed function of cholesterol efflux and some gene expression may be the pathogenetic cause,and macrophage LXR activity may offer potential therapeutic benefit in the treatment of CAD.