title: Plasma concentrations of apolipoprotein A-I containing particles in normolipidaemic young men.
abstract: Low levels of plasma high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol and apolipoprotein (apo)-A-I are associated with premature coronary heart disease. However, particles in the density range of HDL are heterogeneous. Two main types of apo A-I-containing particles can be identified, one species containing both apo A-I and apo A-II (Lp A-I:A-II) and the other apo A-I but no apo-A-II (Lp A-I). This study was designed to measure HDL cholesterol, apo A-I, and, using a new procedure, Lp A-I in 233 healthy normolipidaemic young men (cholesterol less than 250 mg dl-1 and triglycerides less than 200 mg dl-1). Among these subjects, the composition of HDL was very variable as indicated by the 10th and the 90th percentiles of the HDL-cholesterol/apo A-I ratios which were 0.32 and 0.49, respectively. The 10th and 90th percentiles of apo A-I and Lp A-I:A-II were 126 and 167 mg dl-1 and 83 and 116 mg dl-1, respectively. On the other hand, Lp A-I showed a much larger variation, the 10th and 90th percentiles being at 33 and 62 mg dl-1, respectively. The distribution of individual values of Lp A-I showed that this fraction of apo A-I-containing particles was very variable among subjects, the Lp A-I/apo A-I ratio extending from 0.18 to 0.58. Triglycerides, Lp A-I and Lp A-I:A-II were correlated with HDL cholesterol, but no correlation between apo A-I containing subfractions and plasma triglycerides was noticed. Since preliminary results from angiographic and clinical studies show that Lp A-I could exert a protective role for atherosclerosis, it would seem that the measurement of Lp A-I might help in the future to characterize better the individual's risk for atherosclerosis.
authors.affiliation: Pasteur Institute, Lille, France.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Luc
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Parra
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zylberberg
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Fruchart
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016632:Apolipoprotein A-I; D016633:Apolipoprotein A-II; D001054:Apolipoproteins A / Q000097:blood*; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D017270:Lipoprotein(a); D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000097:blood; D008075:Lipoproteins, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D012016:Reference Values; D012307:Risk Factors; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D016632:Apolipoprotein A-I; D016633:Apolipoprotein A-II; D001054:Apolipoproteins A; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D017270:Lipoprotein(a); D008074:Lipoproteins; D008075:Lipoproteins, HDL; D014280:Triglycerides