The influence of plasma apolipoprotein A‐II concentrations on HDL subclass distribution

Background and aims: To investigate the impact of plasma apoA‐II concentrations on the alteration of HDL subclass distribution, and the cooperative effect of apoA‐I and apoA‐II on it. Methods and results: The apoA‐I contents of plasma HDL subclasses were quantified by two‐dimensional gel electrophoresis associated with immunodetection for 292 Chinese people. These subjects were divided according to the mean ± 1 SD of apoA‐II and apoA‐I levels as two cut‐points, respectively. Compared with the low‐apoA‐II group, the apoA‐I contents of HDL 3a (in the high group), HDL 3b , and HDL 2b increased strikingly, both in the middle‐ and high‐apoA‐II group. The apoA‐I contents of all HDL subclasses increased progressively when the apoA‐I and apoA‐II levels simultaneously or the apoA‐I/apoA‐II ratio increased, and in comparison to the low‐apoA‐I–A‐II levels group, the apoA‐I contents of HDL 2b (115%) increased more significantly than those of preβ 1 ‐HDL (39%) in the high‐apoA‐I–A‐II levels group. Multiple analyses also indicated that the three HDL subclasses, HDL 3a , HDL 3b and HDL 2b , were independently predicted by apoA‐II. Conclusion: Excess apoA‐II can cause the accumulation of both large‐sized HDL 2b and small‐sized HDL 3 , which implies that apoA‐II plays a double role in the HDL maturation metabolism. Meanwhile, the degree of HDL 2b increased significantly relative to that of preβ 1 ‐HDL when apoA‐I and apoA‐II levels were elevated simultaneously, suggesting that the maturation and metabolism of HDL might be promoted and reverse cholesterol transport might be enhanced.