Role and metabolism of high density lipoprotein subfractions--analysis of serum HDL2-cholesterol and HDL3-cholesterol in patients with various diseases by high performance liquid chromatography.

In order to study the role and metabolism of high density lipoprotein (HDL) subfractions, the serum HDL2-cholesterol (HDL2-C) and HDL3-cholesterol (HDL3-C) were measured by the new method using high performance liquid chromatography in the normal subjects and patients with various diseases. It was highly characteristic that the serum HDL3-C levels of the patients with liver cirrhosis (LC) were remarkably lower than those of the normal subjects. The result suggests that HDL3 may be produced in the liver. Both the serum HDL2-C and HDL3-C levels were significantly lower in the patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) or cerebral thrombosis (CT) than in the normal subjects (P less than 0.001). In the normal subjects, the changes in the serum HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C) levels were mainly due to those in the serum HDL2-C levels. On the other hand, in the patients with atherosclerotic diseases (CHD, or CT) the changes in the serum HDL-C levels Were attributed to those of both the serum HDL2-C and HDL3-C levels. So it is suggested that in the atherosclerotic diseases, in which the HCL-C is usually lower, the HDL3-C also may play an important role in the regulation of the total HDL-C and its anti-atherogenetic effect.