Serum lipid and lipoprotein concentration in coronary heart disease.

The relationship between serum lipid and lipoprotein concentration and the severity of coronary artery disease assessed by cineangiography was studied in 38 male patients, aged 44 +/- 11.5 years. According to luminal diameter narrowing of 3 major coronary arteries, the patients were divided into 3 groups: group A -- 10 patients with a normal coronarographic finding; group B -- 8 patients with a 26 to 50% coronary artery stenosis; group C -- 20 men with coronary stenosis exceeding 51%. With the exception of Apo B which in patients of group B was slightly elevated (p less than 0.05), there was no difference in serum lipid and lipoprotein levels between patients of group A and B. Patients of group C had significantly increased Apo B and triglyceride levels and a decreased high density lipoproteins (HDL) cholesterol/total cholesterol ratio in comparison with the control group. In group C, a linear correlation was found between the number of affected major coronary arteries and the serum Apo B level. The results suggest that determination of Apo B, triglycerides and the HDL cholesterol/total cholesterol ratio contributes to assessing the severity of coronary heart disease.