A simple method for quantitative determination of high density lipoprotein 2- and 3-cholesterol concentrations by means of polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.

A simple and rapid electrophoretic method was developed to determine quantitatively the cholesterol concentration in two main subfractions of high density lipoprotein, HDL2 and HDL3. A polyacrylamide gel on which prestained serum was fractionated was directly subjected to densitometry for cholesterol concentration. The result, in conjunction with the HDL-cholesterol concentration simultaneously determined by the heparin-Ca2+ method, enabled us to calculate the HDL2- and HDL3-cholesterol concentrations. These values correlated well with those determined by the ultracentrifugal method. Hence, the present method was considered useful for routine clinical application and to be superior to the ultracentrifugal method in subjects with a high level of Lp(a) lipoprotein.