NO ASSOCIATION BETWEEN PLASMA LIPOPROTEIN(A) CONCENTRATIONS AND THE PRESENCE OR ABSENCE OF CORONARY ATHEROSCLEROSIS IN AFRICAN-AMERICANS

Elevated plasma concentrations of lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] are associate d with coronary atherosclerosis in Caucasians. Although African-Americ ans have a higher median plasma Lp(a) concentration than Caucasians, t hey do not have a greater incidence of coronary atherosclerosis. This study was performed to determine whether the plasma concentration of L p(a) is associated with coronary atherosclerosis in African-Americans. The fasting plasma concentrations of Lp(a) and lipoproteins were meas ured in 140 African-American subjects (62 men, 78 women, aged 31 to 80 years) 18 +/- 16 months (mean +/- SD) after they underwent coronary a ngiography: 72 had angiographically normal coronary arteries and 68 ha d >70% luminal diameter narrowing of one or more major epicardial coro nary arteries. The groups were similar in age, sex, and other risk fac tors for atherosclerosis. The subjects with coronary artery disease ha d higher plasma concentrations of total cholesterol, triglycerides, an d VLDL and LDL cholesterol (P = .04) and lower concentrations of HDL c holesterol (P = .0001) than subjects without coronary artery disease, but there was no significant difference in the plasma concentration of Lp(a). The distribution of apolipoprotein(a) alleles by size was also not significantly different between the two groups. These results sug gest that the plasma concentration of Lp(a) is not an independent risk factor for coronary artery disease in African-Americans.