The direct quantification in whole serum of HDL subfractions

A method is described for the direct electrophoretic separation in human serum of three HDL subfractions and the quantification of the cholesterol content of these by means of gas-liquid chromatography. Used in conjunction with established procedures for the separation of total HDL, VLDL and LDL on agarose gels (with gas-liquid chromatography quantification of cholesterol in each band) the procedure affords comprehensive information on lipoprotein metabolism in patients. Two technicians can process 10 samples per day, making the method suitable for semi-large scale screening of patients such as may occur in clinical trials or to evaluate in greater detail lipoprotein patterns of patients suspected of having lipoprotein abnormalities on the basis of simpler screening methods. Results obtained by the method correlate well with those obtained by means of ultracentrifugation.