No relationship between serum lipoprotein(a) and albumin concentrations inpatients with acute phase response

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between lipoprote in(a) [Lp(a)] and albumin concentrations in the serum of patients with acut e phase response (APR). We have compared the Lp(a) concentrations and apoli poprotein [apo(a)] phenotypes of 40 controls with those of 40 APR patients with normoalbuminaemia and 40 APR patients with hypoalbuminaemia. We have a lso compared concentrations of haptoglobin (Hp) and alpha 1-antitrypsin (AA T) containing a high sialic acid content, similar to Lp(a). The mean serum Lp(a) concentration (SD) of the 40 controls was 0.190 (0.142 ) g/L. The mean serum Lp(a) concentration was 0.358 (0.257)g/L (P<0.001) in 80 APR patients. However, there was no difference in serum Lp(a) concentra tions between the APR patients with hypoalbuminaemia [0.353 (0.268) g/L] an d the APR patients with normoalbuminaemia [0.362 (0.249) g/L]. No significa nt difference was found in the distributions of apo(a) phenotypes between t he controls, the APR patients with hypoalbuminaemia, and the APR patients w ith normoalbuminaemia (P = 0.183). In the APR patients, the serum concentra tions of AAT and Hp were respectively 2.709 (0.822) g/L and 2.631 (1.340)g/ L, whereas those of normal controls were respectively 1.422 (0.219) g/L (P < 0.001) and 0.956 (0.442) g/L (P < 0.001). In conclusion, the Lp(a) is one of the acute phase reactants whose synthesi s concurrently increases with other APRs, especially those with a high sial ic acid content. The increase of the serum Lp(a) concentrations in the APR patients is not related to serum albumin concentration.