Particle Size Abnormalities of HDL and Atherosclerosis

Abstract

To assess the atherogenic significance of the particle size abnormalities of HDL, the particle size of HDL was measured by high performance liquid chromatography in 69 male diabetics, 60 male patients with coronary heart disease (CHD), and 151 male normal subjects. The particle size of HDL was represented by the elution volume at the peak of HDL.
In normal subjects the particle size of the cholesterol monitored HDL (C. HDL) was larger than that of the triglyceride monitored HDL (G·HDL). This suggests that the smaller G rich HDL becomes the larger C rich HDL taking up cholesterol. In diabetics the particle size of the G·HDL was larger than that in normal subjects, and there was no difference between the particle size of the G·HDL and the C·HDL. These results suggest that the function of HDL taking up cholesterol is disturbed in diabetics. In patients with CHD the particle size of the G·HDL was larger than that in normal subjects, which was similar to the result in diabetics. This suggests that the larger G·HDL is related to atherogenesis.