REMNANT-LIKE PARTICLE CHOLESTEROL LEVELS IN PATIENTS WITH DYSBETALIPOPROTEINEMIA OR CORONARY-ARTERY DISEASE

PURPOSE: Several studies have provided support for a proatherogenic ro le for remnant lipoproteins. Thus, the aim of this study was to compar e remnant-like particle (RLP) cholesterol levels in patients with coro nary artery disease who were normolipidemic with those in controls of similar age and gender. We also assessed the usefulness of measuring R LP-cholesterol levels in patients with type III dyslipidemia. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Remnant-like particle cholesterol levels were measured i n 63 normolipidemic men with coronary artery disease and 23 male contr ols of similar age as well as in 15 patients with type III dyslipidemi a and 103 controls, using an immunoaffinity method. RESULTS: Remnant-l ike particle cholesterol levels were significantly increased in men wi th coronary artery disease compared with controls (7.6 +/- 3.8 mg/dL v ersus 5.7 +/- 1.9 mg/dL, P <0.01). In patients with coronary artery di sease, RLP-cholesterol levels were correlated with total triglyceride and non-high-density-lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels, but not wit h HDL-cholesterol levels. HDL-cholesterol levels were significantly el evated in patients with type III dyslipidemia (median 119, range 31 to 240 mg/dL) compared with controls (median 5.6, range 2.2 to 10.5 mg/d L, P <0.001). CONCLUSION: Normolipidemic men with coronary artery dise ase have increased levels of RLP-cholesterol that is not detected with conventional lipid screening. The RLP-cholesterol assay is a simple m ethod for detecting high concentrations of remnant lipoproteins in pat ients with type III dyslipidemia. (C) 1998 by Excerpta Medica, Inc.