Lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) mass; its relationship to LCAT activity and cholesterol esterification rate.

The relationship between plasma lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase mass and enzyme activity and between mass and plasma cholesterol esterification rate was determined in 25 adult volunteers without overt disease (14 normolipidemic and 11 hyperlipidemic). Furthermore, the relationship of lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase mass and cholesterol esterification rate to lipids, apoproteins, age, and ideal body weight was assessed. Lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase mass determined by radioimmunoassay was highly correlated with enzyme activity assayed using a heated plasma substrate (r = 0.636) and with the molar cholesterol esterification rate determined either by radioassay (r = 0.809) or by measurement of the decrease of unesterified cholesterol (r = 0.621). Lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase mass was also positively correlated with total cholesterol (r = 0.608), unesterified cholesterol (r = 0.562), age (r = 0.544), and percent ideal body weight (r = 0.619), but was not significantly correlated with log triglyceride, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, or apolipoproteins A-I, A-II, or D. Plasma cholesterol esterification rate by both methods was highly positively correlated with total cholesterol, unesterified cholesterol, log triglyceride, and age, but was inversely correlated with high density lipoprotein cholesterol. Upon partial correlation analysis with lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase mass kept constant the cholesterol esterification rate remained significantly positively related to total cholesterol, unesterified cholesterol, and log triglyceride and inversely related to high density lipoprotein cholesterol. Two subjects had normal lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase but approximately half normal molar cholesterol esterification rate. Measurement of lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase mass and activity along with plasma cholesterol esterification rate will permit differentiation of abnormalities of enzyme from qualitative or quantitative substrate or cofactor abnormalities. Also, the finding that the regression line between LCAT mass and the plasma esterification rate by direct determination of unesterified cholesterol passes through the origin suggests that all immunodetectable LCAT in plasma is active in normal subjects.-Albers, J. J., C-H. Chen, and J. L. Adolphson. Lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) mass; its relationship to LCAT activity and cholesterol esterification rate.