BACKGROUND AND AIM

In addition to high serum cholesterol levels, various cardiovascular risk factors may be involved in the development of coronary heart disease (CHD) in hypercholesterolemic subjects. As the levels of lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)], an important and independent cardiovascular risk factor, are high in polygenic hypercholesterolemia (PH), we investigated plasma Lp(a) levels and apolipoprotein(a) [apo(a)] phenotypes in relation to occurrence of CHD events in PH patients.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Lp(a) levels and apo(a) isoforms were determined in 191 PH patients, 83 normocholesterolemic subjects with CHD, and 94 normocholesterolemic controls without CHD. Lp(a) levels were similar in the hypercholesterolemic subjects with (n=100) or without CHD (n=91): 21.4 (range 6.6-59.23) vs 18.5 (range 5.25-57.25) mg/dL (p=NS). Low molecular weight apo(a) isoforms were more prevalent (55%) in the PH patients with CHD, whereas high molecular weight apo(a) isoforms were more prevalent (62.6%) in those without CHD: this difference was significant (p<0.05). A stepwise multiple-discriminant analysis made in order to determine the independence of common cardiovascular risk factors, Lp(a) levels and low molecular weight apo(a) isoforms in predicting CHD among hypercholesterolemic subjects showed that the presence of a positive family history of CHD, smoking, age, and the presence of at least one apo(a) isoform of low molecular weight were independently associated with CHD.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite high Lp(a) levels, our findings do not support the hypothesis that Lp(a) plays an independent role in determining clinical CHD in PH subjects. However, the presence of at least one low molecular weight apo(a) isoform is an independent genetic predictor of CHD in hypercholesterolemic subjects. Together with other cardiovascular risk factors, apo(a) phenotypes should be assessed to evaluate the overall CHD risk status of all subjects with high serum cholesterol levels.