Low order correlations of lipoprotein(a) with other blood lipids and with coagulation and fibrinolysis parameters in hypertensive and diabetic patients.

Lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) has been established as an important independent risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease. Apolipoprotein(a), together with apo B-100 the apolipoprotein of Lp(a), is homologeous to plasminogen but lacks fibrinolytic capacity and appeared to interfere with fibrinolysis in in vitro and ex vivo experiments. We determined the correlations between Lp(a) and other blood lipids (serum cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides), coagulation parameters (fibrinogen, factor VII, factor VIII:C fibrin monomers, thrombin-antithrombin III) and fibrinolysis parameters (tissue plasminogen activator antigen, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 and D-dimer) in 54 patients with essential hypertension, in 65 non-insulin-dependent diabetic patients and in 116 insulin-regulated diabetic patients. Signs of activated coagulation and increased reactive fibrinolysis were found in all three patient groups. In the hypertensive patients, Lp(a) was significantly correlated with LDL-cholesterol (r = 0.25, P = 0.04) and triglycerides (r = -0.30, P = 0.03), while in insulin-regulated diabetics, Lp(a) was also correlated with LDL-cholesterol (r = 0.20, P = 0.03). In the hypertensive patients and both diabetic groups there was no correlation of Lp(a) with coagulation or fibrinolysis parameters. These data show that Lp(a) concentrations are not related to coagulation or fibrinolysis parameters in hypertensive or diabetic patients and confirm the presence of an activated coagulation system in these patient groups.