title: Increased serum levels of lipoprotein(a) correlated with the severity of coronary artery disease in patients submitted to angiography.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine serum levels of lipoprotein(a) and lipid profile of a group of individuals submitted to coronary angiography, with the aim of establishing the possible correlation between these parameters and the severity of coronary artery disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum levels of total cholesterol, HDLC, LDLC, triglycerides, lipoprotein(a), apolipoproteins A-I and B were measured in blood samples of 17 subjects with absence of atheromatosis in the coronary arteries (control), 12 subjects presenting mild/moderate atheromatosis and 28 subjects presenting severe atheromatosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant statistical differences were found between the means of the three groups for the parameters assessed, except for lipoprotein(a) serum levels which presented significant differences between the means of the control, mild/moderate atheromatosis and severe atheromatosis groups (p<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The means obtained in the three groups for Lp(a) indicate a progressive increase in the serum levels of this parameter according to the severity of coronary atheromatosis. These findings suggest the need of additional studies in order to obtain enough evidence to support the introduction of routine assessment of Lp(a) levels in clinical laboratories in the monitoring of patients at risk for coronary artery disease (CAD).
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais and Hospital SOCOR of Belo Horizonte, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luciana Moreira
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Lima
authors.forename: Maria das Graças
authors.initials: Md
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.forename: Andréia Assis
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Loures-Vale
authors.forename: Ana Paula
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Fernandes
authors.forename: Ana Paula Lucas
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Mota
authors.forename: Cirilo Pereira da Fonseca
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Neto
authors.forename: José Carlos Faria
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Garcia
authors.forename: Jamil Abdala
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Saad
authors.forename: Marinez de Oliveira
authors.initials: Mde O
authors.lastname: Souza
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017270:Lipoprotein(a) / Q000097:blood*; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D017270:Lipoprotein(a); D008074:Lipoproteins