Stability of apolipoprotein(a) isoform phenotype to postmortem conditions

Studies, such as the one entitled Pathobiological Determinants of Atherosclerosis in Youth or PDAY, have investigated the relationship of atherosclerotic lesions with lipid and lipoprotein risk factors. However, it is possible that proteolytic hydrolysis during the postmortem period could alter protein components of lipoproteins. Apo(a) is the defining protein of Lp(a), a lipoprotein associated with risk of cardiovascular disease. Apo(a) proteins are highly polymorphic for size and we simulated, using baboon tissues, the postmortem conditions for the PDAY study in order to determine their effects on apo(a) phenotypes. The bulk of the postmortem samples (93%) were correctly phenotyped and showed little or no evidence of degradation. Thus, apo(a) isoform size phenotypes can be determined in postmortem samples, although with caution.