HDL2 and HDL3 lipid levels in coronary artery disease.

The concentrations of cholesterol (C) and phospholipid (PL) levels in the high density lipoprotein (HDL) fraction and the HDL2 and HDL3 subfractions were determined in 74 men with incapacitating angina pectoris and coronary artery disease (CAD) verified by angiography. An equal number of randomly sampled healthy men matched for age, occupation and place of living constituted the control group. The HDL2 and HDL3 fractions were separated by a combination of ultracentrifugation and precipitation. The levels of HDL-C and HDL-PL were reduced in the CAD patients. The reduction of HDL lipids was attributed to both the HDL2 and HDL3 fractions. Proportionally there was a greater reduction of C and PL in HDL2 than in HDL3. The decrease of HDL2-C and HDL3-PL were significant also after allowance for the influences of obesity and triglyceride level. The reductions of HDL2 and HDL3 were significant as well in smoking as in nonsmoking CAD patients and both in patients with and without beta-adrenoceptor blocking drugs.