Lipoprotein(a) phenotypes in patients with vascular dementia

We tried to examine if there is a particular distribution pattern of lipopr otein(a) [Lp(a)] phenotypes specific for patients with vascular dementia (V D). Fourteen cases of VD (9 males and 5 females), 18 cases of dementia of t he Alzheimer type (DAT)(7 males and 11 females), 29 cases of cerebrovascula r disease (CVD) in the chronic phase (18 males and 11 females) and 47 healt hy individuals as controls (25 males and 22 females) were examined for seru m Lp(a). Serum concentrations and phenotypes of Lp(a) were assessed by ELIS A and a test kit for the Lp(a) phenotype, respectively. Serum concentration s of Lp(a) were significantly higher in patients with VD (p < 0.05) as well as patients with CVD (p < 0.01) compared with those in healthy individuals . Serum concentrations of Lp(a) did not significantly differ between patien ts with DAT and healthy individuals. The incidences of Lp(a) phenotypes con taining relatively low-molecular-weight apolipoprotein(a) isoforms were sig nificantly higher in patients with CVD in the chronic phase (p < 0.05) or t hose with VD (p < 0.01) compared with those in healthy individuals. Distrib ution patterns of Lp(a) phenotypes did not differ between patients with DAT and healthy individuals. Thus, high serum levels of Lp(a) could be conside red a clinical hallmark to distinguish VD from DAT. Abnormally high serum l evels of Lp(a) in patients with CVD and VD seemed to be due to specific inc reases in low-molecular-weight apolipoprotein(a) isoforms in Lp(a). Copyrig ht (C) 2000 S. Karger AG, Basel.