Lipoprotein and apolipoprotein levels in angiographically defined coronary atherosclerosis

Recent studies suggest that apolipoproteins and subfractions of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol may be better predictors of atherosclerotic coronary artery disease (CAD) than are plasma cholesterol and total HDL cholesterol. To examine this hypothesis, plasma cholesterol and triglyceride, cholesterol of low-density lipoprotein, HDL and its subfractions 2 and 3, apolipoproteln A-I, the apoplipoprotein B of low-density lipoprotein, the ratio of apolipoprotein E II to E III, and ratios of several of these variables were measured in a selected series of 126 patients (83 men and 43 women) who underwent coronary angiography for suspected CAD. Mean values of many of these variables differed significantly between the men with CAD and the men without significant CAD, when controlled for age, use of β blockers and diuretic drugs. Using multivariate logistic regression analysis, the only variable that made a significant independent contribution in predicting CAD in men was the ratio of HDL cholesterol to total plasma cholesterol (p