Electrophoretic Separation of LDL and HDL Subclasses

An extensive literature supports the hypothesis that measurements of lipoprotein subclasses provide a more detailed reflection of lipoprotein metabolism and a more accurate prediction for risk of cardiovascular disease. Lipoprotein subclasses have been resolved on the basis of density fractionation, gel filtration, and immunological and electrophoretic procedures. Perhaps one of the most widely used methods has been the resolution of lipoproteins on the basis of particle size using nondenaturing pore gradient gel electrophoresis (GGE). GGE procedures have been based on highly reliable gradient gels supplied in two formats: PAA2/16 for resolving low-density lipoproteins (LDLs) and PAA4/30 for resolving high-density lipoprotems (HDLs) (Pharmacia, Piscataway, NJ). These gel formats produce repeatable and detailed separations of the two major classes of lipoprotein particles, appropriate for quantitative analyses of lipoprotein phenotypes.