RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN APOLIPOPROTEIN-E AND LOW-DENSITY-LIPOPROTEIN PARTICLE-SIZE

The relationships between the particle size of low density lipoproteins (LDL) and various lipid parameters, including apolipoprotein (apo) E concentration and apo E phenotype, were analyzed in plasma samples obtained from 196 apparently healthy 35-year-old males. The LDL particle size was determined by gradient gel electrophoresis. Using stepwise multiple regression analysis it was found that LDL particle size correlated negatively to the plasma concentrations of triglyceride (r = -0.497, P < 0.001), apo E (r = -0.415, P < 0.001), apo B (r = -0.395, P < 0.001) and cholesterol (r = -0.235, P < 0.001) and correlated positively to the plasma concentrations of apo A-I (r = 0.297, P < 0.001) and apo A-II (r = 0. 145, P < 0.05). However, the LDL particle size did not differ significantly among the different apo E phenotypes. Indeed, when entered as a variable in the multiple regression analysis, the apo E phenotype was not correlated to the LDL particle size. It is concluded that the LDL particle size is related to the plasma concentrations of triglyceride, apo E, apo B, apo A-I, apo A-II and cholesterol and is not affected by the apo E phenotype in healthy 35-year-old males.