Hyperlipoproteinemia has been thought to be a major risk factor for coronary arterial disease, which is frequently associated with patients with primary gout. In the previous study we demonstrated that type IIb and IV hyperlipoproteinemia coexist frequently in gouty patients. In the present study we investigated qualitative changes in LDL particles in 34 gouty patients. The 34 gouty patients were divided into 22normolipidemic (NL-G group) and 12 hypertriglyceridemic (≥150mg/dl) men (HTG-G group). The 22 nongouty subjects were divided into 12 normolipidemic and 10 hypertriglyceridemic men (NL-C and HTG-C group, respectively). Serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels were not changed between gout and control in normolipidemic or hypertriglyceridemic group. High-density lipoprotein cholesterol values were higher in HTG-G group than those in HTG-C group (p <0.05), and similar tendency was shown between NL-G and NL-C groups. LDL-cholesterol and LDL-apoB concentrations in gout were different form those in nongout (HTG-G υs HTG-C, and NL-G υs NL-C). However, LDL-apoB/LDL-cholesterol ratio in gout was significantly higher than in nongout [0.75±0.10(Mean±SD)in NL-G υs 0.67±0.05 in NL-C, p&lｔ;0.05; 0.90±0.07 in HTG-G υs 0.83±0.08 in HTG-C, P<0.05]. Analysis of LDL particle size by high performance liquid chromatography demonstrated that LDL from gouty patient is smaller than LDL from nongout. LDL particles form gouty patients with high ratio of LDL- apoB/LDLcholesterol were extremely small. In conclusion, LDL from gouty patients was apoBrich (cholesterol-poor) and small as compared with normal LDL. These changes in LDL particle of gout may be responsible at least in part for the development of atherosclerosis in this disease, since apoB-rich LDL has been reported to be more atherogenic than normal LDL.
