Lipid and lipoprotein measurements in a normal adult American population.

From a parent population of 774, a subpopulation of 160 normal adults ages 27-66 was randomly selected, 20 from each decade and sex. A detailed comparison was made by analytic ultracentrifugation and complete agarose gel electrophoresis on serum and the 1.006 g/ml top and bottom preparative ultracentrifuge lipoprotein fractions. The latter was internally standardized by total lipid and plasma total cholesterol and triglyceride determinations giving normal reference lipoprotein values. The reading procedure allowed the identification and quantification of floating beta and sinking pre-beta. In the subpopulation, there were two of the former and 13 of the latter. For large scale clinical application of such quantitative lipoprotein electrophoresis full automation of the microdensitometry and calculations will be required.