A search for stratification-free association between plasma lipids and HLA using dizygotic twins.

A total of 71 pairs of like-sexed dizygotic twins were studied, comparing within-pair differences for plasma total, free and esterified cholesterol, and triglyceride with the number of HLA haplotypes the twins had in common. If associations are present between HLA and the blood lipids studied, the twins with no haplotypes in common would be expected to have the largest within-pair mean square, those with two in common the smallest, and those with one in common an intermediate value. No significant differences were found comparing within- pair mean squares for the variables studied.