Typing of hyperlipoproteinemia in an Israel hospital

In this study we report on lipid and lipoprotein levels among a patient population at the Hadassah University Hospital, Jerusalem. The normal group consisted at 65 examinees whose mean plasma cholesterol and triglyceride levels were 208 and 104 mg/dl, respectively. Lipoprotein lipid levels were determined after ultracentrifugation and specific polyanion precipitation. All procedures were monitored by lipoprotein electrophoresis on paper. The mean levels of very low density, low density and high density lipoproteins of the normal group, expressed as cholesterol, were 24, 140 and 44 mg/dl, respectively. Of the 285 patients investigated, 280 were classified as having lipoprotein patterns of type IIa (117), IIb (90) or IV (73); two patients had type III; and three patients had type V hyperlipoproteinemia. All groups differed considerably in their plasma lipid and lipoprotein levels. Based on individual values the ratios of plasma triglyceride to plasma cholesterol and plasma triglyceride to very low density lipid cholesterol were calculated. The low density lipoprotein cholesterol content was also calculated by subtracting the high density lipoprotein and an assumed very low density lipoprotein cholesterol content (plasma triglyceride level divided by 5) from the total plasma cholesterol. It is suggested that by the use of these values, together with lipoprotein electrophoretic procedures, the ocrrect typing of hyperlipoproteinemia can be established for most patients, without the use of the ultracentrifuge.