Quick method of determining lipoproteins, including those of intermediate density, in serum.

We describe an ultracentrifugation method for isolating the different lipoprotein classes relatively quickly. In this method the very-low-density lipoproteins are first separated by non-density-adjusted ultracentrifugation. The resulting infranatant material is then stained with Coomassie Brilliant Blue R-250 and ultracentrifuged in a density gradient. The intermediate-density lipoproteins (IDL), low-density lipoproteins, and high-density lipoproteins fractions are separated by aspiration from the top of the tube. This method can be used to separate, analyze, and quantify lipoproteins, including anomalous lipoproteins such as the IDL. The CVs for the present method never exceeded 15%.