Development of a density gradient ultracentrifugation technique for the resolution of plasma lipoproteins which avoids apo E dissociation.

A density gradient ultracentrifugation technique for analyzing and isolating plasma lipoproteins was developed that was simple to set up, allowed for the isolation of the plasma lipoproteins in one centrifugal spin, and avoided the dissociation of apolipoprotein E from high-density lipoprotein (HDL) which can occur when plasma is subjected to ultracentrifugation at high concentrations of salt. The density gradient emphasized the resolution of the HDL density region while still enabling the separation of low-density and very low-density lipoprotein.