High-density lipoprotein subfractions in normolipidemic individuals without clinical atherosclerosis lipoprotein subfractions in an adult population.

This study evaluated the serum concentrations of lipids, lipoproteins, apolipoproteins, and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) subfractions in Brazilian adults. We analyzed the distribution of lipids in HDL2 and HDL3 in a normolipidemic population without evidence of established cardiovascular disease (CVD). A total of 93 males and 92 females, healthy and normolipidemic, volunteered to be submitted to a clinical examination, a blood collection, and to answer a questionnaire aimed at determining signs and symptoms of atherosclerotic disease. Their fasting plasma lipid, lipoproteins, apolipoproteins, and the cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations in HDL2 and HDL3, isolated by microultracentrifugation, were determined by enzymatic-colorimetric methods. The interpercentile intervals (2.5-97.5) for the population were established as being 5-18 mg/dL in men and 4-28 mg/dL in women for HDL2 cholesterol (HDL2chol) and 1-57 mg/dL in men and 2-61 mg/dL in women for HDL3 cholesterol (HDL3chol). HDL2 triglyceride levels (HDL2Tg) in men were 1-26 mg/dL and in women 2-28 mg/dL; moreover, the HDL3 triglyceride (HDL3Tg) intervals were established as 4-46 mg/dL for both sexes. The determination of reference ranges for lipids in HDL subfractions in populations without clinical atherosclerosis, is an useful tool for metabolic, diagnostic, and therapeutic approaches. We determined the intervals for HDL2chol, HDL3chol, HDL2Tg, and HDL3Tg. There were variations with sex and/or age for HDL2chol, HDL3chol, and HDL2Tg in the studied population.