ackground : Since its description in the early 1960s by Berg, Lp(a) has been shown to
be associated with coronary artery disease (CAD). Lp(a) is composed of one LDL particle, to
which one molecule of apolipoprotein(a) is covalently lined. Lp(a) excess is considered to
have not only atherogenic but also antifibrinolytic activities by complex mechanisms. The
purpose of this study was to evaluate Lp(a) as a risk factor of CAD, and to study the
relations between Lp(a) and cholesterol level in patients with CAD.
Methods : We determined plasma levels of Lp(a) in 26 patients with CAD including AMI
and AP(11 men and 15 women, median age 60 years), in 16 patietns with HT(6 men and 10
women, median age 61 years), and in 50 control subjects (25 men and 25 women, median age
57 years) clinically free of cardiovascular disease. We measured plasma Lp(a) level in CAD
and Ht group with ELISA method and compared the reslt with that of control group. We
also measured serum cholesterol and TG with autoanalyzer in CAD and HT groups.
Results : Plasma Lp(a) levels were 358±155 mg/L in CAD group, 207±110 mg/ in HT
group and 166±33 mg/L in control group. Patietns with Cad had higher Lp(a) levels than
HT and control subjects (p<0.005). No gender differences in Lp(a) levels were observed
between men and women(patients or control subjects). No statistically significant differences
were seen for total cholesterol and Tg in each groups. We analyzed again plasma Lp(a)
levels of 16 atients with CAD whose cholesterol levels are below 200 mg/dl. It ws 294±129
mg/L, also higher in CAD compared with HT and control groups (p<0.05).
Conclustion : The Lp(a) levels of the CAD groups were significantly higher than those of
HT and control groups, this suggest the Lp(a) excess is a risk factor for the development of
CAD. The high Lp(a) levels in patients who have serum total cholesterol below 200 mg/dl
is considerd that is a risk facor, independent of high cholesterol level.
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