HIGH LIPOPROTEIN(A) IN CHILDREN FROM KINDREDS WITH PARENTAL PREMATURE MYOCARDIAL-INFARCTION

In 98 children from 98 kindreds, 49 with and 49 without parental premature myocardial infarction (age less than or equal to 45 y), our specific aim was to determine whether, and to what degree, lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] and other atherogenic lipids and lipoproteins might be overexpressed in children from premature infarction kindreds. Median Lp(a) (270 mg/L) in case boys was nearly twice that in control boys (140 mg/L) (p less than or equal to 0.001). In a logistic regression model including age, Quetelet index (relative ponderosity), Lp(a), apo A1, apo B, triglyceride, and pubertal status, the 24 case boys had higher Lp(a) (p = 0.03), higher triglyceride (p = 0.036), and marginally lower apo A1 (p = 0.06) than the 26 control boys. Median Lp(a) in case girls (200 mg/L) was much higher than in control girls (150 mg/L) (p less than or equal to 0.01). In a logistic regression model including age, Quetelet index, Lp(a), apo A1, apo B, triglyceride, and menarchal status, Lp(a) was higher (p = 0.02), apo B was marginally higher (p = 0.07), and apo A1 was lower (p = 0.008) in 25 case girls than in 23 control girls. Reflecting familial clustering of major lipid-lipoprotein risk factors for coronary heart disease, children from kindreds with premature parental myocardial infarction were distinguished from children from control kindreds by high Lp(a) and also had higher apo B and triglyceride and lower apo A1 levels.