Influence of apolipoproteinCII concentrations on HDL subclass distribution

To demonstrate the interrelationship between plasma apolipoprotein(apo)CII concentrations and the pattern of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) subclass distribution.

ApolipoproteinA-I contents of plasma HDL subclasses were quantified by 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis associated with immunodetection in 504 Chinese subjects.

Compared with subjects in the lowest tertile of the apoCII group, the contents of prebeta(1)- HDL, HDL(3b), and HDL(3a) were significantly higher than HDL(2a) and HDL(2b) in subjects in the middle and highest tertiles of the apoCII group. Moreover, regardless of whether apoB100 increased, prebeta(1)-HDL contents increased, but HDL(2b) fell when apoCII rose while, at any apoCII levels, HDL(2b) rose with the elevation of apoA-I. Additionally, a reduction in prebeta(1)-HDL (from 131.9 to 90.6 mg/L) but an increase in HDL(2b) (from 269.1 to 382.7 mg/L) with a rise in the apoCIII/CIi value (between 0.8 and 5.6) were also observed.

The particle size of HDL become smaller with the increase of apoCII levels, implying that the efficiency of reverse cholesterol transport (RCT) was impaired and blocked the maturation of HDL. ApoCII might be an independent factor affecting the distribution of HDL subclasses. Further, the apoCIII/CII ratio correlated with the size of HDL particles.