SERUM-LIPIDS, LIPOPROTEIN AND APOLIPOPROTEIN LEVELS IN NORMAL CHILEANNEWBORNS

Background: In Chile, there is a high prevalence of cardiovascular dis eases. Because atherosclerosis starts in childhood, it is important to assess serum lipid levels in children. Aim: To measure serum lipid le vels in normal Chilean newborns. Subjects and methods: A sample of umb ilical cord venous blood was obtained from 156 normal newborns (76 mal e) immediately after delivery. Total and HDL cholesterol, triglyceride s, apoprotein A1, B and lipoprotein (a) were measured. Results: Mean v alues for total cholesterol in males, females and in the total sample were 60.6, 67.8 and 64 mg/dl respectively. The figures for HDL cholest erol were 24.9, 29.3 and 27 mg/dl, for LDL cholesterol were 28.3, 32.4 and 30 mg/dl, for triglycerides were 37.5, 30.3 and 35 mg/dl, for apo protein A1 were 69, 79 and 74 mg/dl, for apoB were 23, 25 and 24 mg/dl and for lipoprotein (a) were 1.58, 1.79 and 1.69 mg/dl. Total cholest erol, HDL cholesterol, triglycerides and apoprotein A1 were significan tly different between sexes. Percentiles 5 and 95 for total cholestero l were 37 and 111, for HDL cholesterol were 14 and 40, for LDL cholest erol were 13 and 57, for triglycerides were 20 and (6)9, for apoprotei n A1 were 53 and 101, for apoprotein B were 11 and 48 and for lipoprot ein (a) were 1.3 and 2.1 mg/dl. Five percent of children had apoprotei n B values over 48 mg/dl. Conclusions: The detection of high levels of apoprotein B in newborns, could allow the early identification of ind ividuals with high cardiovascular risk.