Preheparin serum lipoprotein lipase mass level: the effects of age, gender, and types of hyperlipidemias

To clarify the factors regulating preheparin serum lipoprotein lipase mass (preheparin LPL mass), the correlations between preheparin LPL mass and age , gender and types of hyperlipidemias were investigated in 377 persons who underwent annual health examinations. Preheparin LPL mass level did not sig nificantly differ in individuals from 19 to 70 years old, for both men and women. Preheparin LPL mass level correlated negatively with triglyceride (T CJ), positively with high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), and not at all with total cholesterol (TC) or low density lipoprotein-cholesterol ( LDL-C). Preheparin LPL mass levels were apparently higher in women than in men, but when serum lipid levels were adjusted, preheparin LPL mass levels were identical. In type IV and IIb hyperlipidemia, preheparin LPL mass leve ls were lower than in type IIa patients and in normals. Remnant positive in dividuals had lower levels of preheparin LPL mass than the negative individ uals. In conclusion, preheparin LPL mass levels were not affected by aging and gender, but were lower in the conditions in which TG catabolism was dis turbed, indicating that preheparin LPL mass might reflect somewhat the amou nt of LPL working in the body. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All r ights reserved.