Comparative serum apolipoprotein studies in ischaemic heart disease and control subjects

We have compared the concentrations of serum lipoprotein apoproteins in 55 ischaemic heart disease (IHD) patients and 116 apparently healthy control subjects by a simple, precise and reasonably sensitive "rocket" electroimmunoassay technique. Apolipoprotein B and apolipoprotein C levels in the vaery low density lipoprotein class and apolipoprotein B in the low density lipoprotein class were significantly lower IHD patients than in control subjects (p < 0.001). Apolipoprotein A levels within high density lipoproteins were markedly lower in a subpopulation of IHD patients compared with age-and sex-matched controls (p < 0.05). Using levels in excess of the 95th percentile of the levels in the healthy control population to delineate "abnormalities", we showed that there were more patients with "abnormalities" when lipoprotein apoprotein measurements were considered than when lipoprotein lipids were considered. The positive correlations between lipoprotein lipids and their apoproteins were in most instances greater in IHD patients than in controls.