[The utility of high density lipoprotein cholesterol subclasses measurement].

The aim of our study was to estimate the cholesterol concentrations in high density lipoprotein subfractions (HDL2 i HDL3) in plasma of patients with normocholesterolemia and atherosclerosis of coronary arteries and in patients with myeloproliferative diseases. Blood samples from patients with normal plasma cholesterol levels were analyzed in spite of the fact that atherosclerosis of coronary arteries usually exist with hypercholesterolemia and myeloproliferative diseases usually coexist with hypocholesterolemia. In this way we wanted to determine changes in HDL2 i HDL3 metabolism which occur independently from changes of cholesterol levels in other lipoproteins. Our results showed that in patients suffering from atherosclerosis of coronary arteries with normolipemia the lowering of plasma cholesterol level in subfractions HDL2 and HDL3 was observed. In patients with myeloproliferative disease with normocholesterolemia the slight lowering of cholesterol level in subfraction HDL3 may be connected with moderate hypertriglyceridemia. In both groups of patients the lowering of HDL cholesterol in plasma was accompanied with the increased lipid peroxidation.