RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CHARACTERISTICS OF L IPID TRANSPORT-SYSTEM OF THE BLOOD AND CLINICAL MANIFESTATIONS AND EXTENT OF CORONARY ATHEROSCLEROSIS

Biochemical markers of symptomatic and asymptomatic coronary atheroscl erosis were sought basing on investigation of 241 patients aged 26 - 6 1 years with or without angiographically proven stenotic lesions in co ronary arteries. Of parameters studied apo B/apo A-I ratio 1.0 or more appeared to be the best discriminating factor between patients withou t visible coronary stenoses and patients with even minimally damaged a rteries (e.g. having single stenoses less than 60% of a vessel lumen) irrespective of presence of symptoms of myocardial ischemia. Less sens itive but highly specific markers were (1) the following values of lip id coefficients: low density lipoprotein cholesterol/high density lipo protein cholesterol ratio equal to or above 4.0, total cholesterol min us low density lipoprotein cholesterol/low density lipoprotein cholest erol ratio equal to or above 5.0 and (2) level of circulating immune c omplexes exceeding 15 g/ml. A relationship was found between serum lev el of cholesterol in circulating immune complexes and high degree and extent of atherosclerotic damage of coronary arteries in patients with ischemic heart disease. This fact confirmed high significance of the latter parameter in atherogenesis.