Component analysis of HPLC profiles of unique lipoprotein subclass cholesterols for detection of coronary artery disease.
BACKGROUND
Patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) are known to have several lipoprotein abnormalities. We examined plasma cholesterol concentrations of major lipoproteins and their subclasses, using a gel permeation HPLC, to establish an association between a lipoprotein subclass pattern and the presence of CAD.


METHODS
We performed a simple and fully automated HPLC, followed by mathematical treatment on chromatograms, for measuring cholesterol concentrations of major lipoproteins and their subclasses in 62 male patients (45 with CAD and 17 controls without CAD) who underwent cardiac catheterization.


RESULTS
For major lipoprotein classes, the patient group had a significantly (P<0.05) higher LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) and lower HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C), but no difference in VLDL-cholesterol (VLDL-C) concentrations. For lipoprotein subclasses, the patient group had a significantly higher small VLDL-C (mean particle diameter of 31.3 nm, P<0.001), small LDL-C (23.0 nm, P<0.05), and very small LDL-C (16.7-20.7 nm, P<0.001), but a significantly lower large HDL-C (12.1 nm, P<0.001) concentrations. Combined variables of "small VLDL-C+small LDL-C+very small LDL-C-large HDL-C" differentiated the patient from the control group more clearly than single-subclass measurements or calculated traditional lipid markers.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest the usefulness of multiple and simultaneous subclass analysis of proatherogenic and antiatherogenic lipoproteins and indicate that HPLC and its component analysis can be used for easy detection and evaluation of abnormal distribution of lipoprotein subclasses associated with CAD.
Okazaki
Mitsuyo
M
Laboratory of Chemistry, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Ichikawa, Japan. okazaki.las@tmd.ac.jp
Usui
Shinichi
S
Fukui
Akio
A
Kubota
Isao
I
Tomoike
Hitonobu
H
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000465:Algorithms; D019540:Area Under Curve; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood*; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood*; D015243:Cholesterol, VLDL / Q000097:blood*; D002850:Chromatography, Gel; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012372:ROC Curve; D012307:Risk Factors
D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D015243:Cholesterol, VLDL