The polymorphism of apolipoprotein E (apo E) accounts for a substantial amount of the genetic variance of cholesterol levels in man. The epsilon-2 allele and the epsilon-4 allele raises plasma and low density lipoprotein cholesterol levels as compared to the epsilon-3 allele. Whereas the lower cholesterol levels in carriers of the epsilon-2 allele can, at least in part, be attributed to the gro...

Human apolipoprotein (apo)-B mRNA undergoes a novel tissue specific editing reaction which replaces a genomically templated cytidine with uridine. This substitution converts codon 2153 from glutamine (CAA) in apo-B100 mRNA to a stop codon (UAA) in apo-B48 mRNA. This novel RNA editing process is responsible for the generation of hepatic apo-B100 and intestinal apo-B48. We have established the fo...

An original competitive enzyme inhibition immunoassay has been developed for determination of total apolipoprotein A-I (apo A-I) in serum and in plasma. This specific assay involves a single monoclonal antibody (F59 4A12 2F4, directed to the -COOH terminal region of the apo A-I molecule) and a stable secondary plasma standard. Delipidation of serum samples exposed no additional antigenic sites,...

Apolipoprotein A-I (Apo A-I) is the principal protein component of high density lipoprotein (HDL), which is generally considered as a potential therapeutic target against atherosclerosis. The understanding of the Apo A-I regulation mechanism has fuelled the development of novel HDL targeted therapeutic approaches. To identify novel agents that can upregulate Apo A-I expression, we performed a c...

We investigated the role of the apolipoprotein (Apo) E polymorphism in the prediction of CAD age of onset in a sample of unrelated living male (n = 65) and female (n = 54) Caucasian subjects diagnosed with CAD. Cumulative distributions of age at the first diagnosis of CAD were estimated for each Apo E genotype and tested for homogeneity using the log-rank test. The Apo epsilon 33 genotype was u...

We describe a new method for the direct measurement of LDL-apolipoprotein (apo) B by using a commercial kit that isolates LDL by immunoseparation. We evaluated immunoseparation of LDL for apo B and cholesterol measurement in 46 dyslipidemic patients with LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) between 1.5 and 8.2 mmol/L, 11 of whom had plasma triglyceride (TG) concentrations >4.0 mmol/L. There was a reasonable...

Familial defective apolipoprotein (apo) B-100 (FDB), a condition that may give rise to hypercholesterolemia, is caused by mutations around codon 3500 of the apo B gene. We have compared the ability of three molecular-scanning techniques, heteroduplex analysis, single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis, and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE), to detect these mutations i...

Apolipoprotein (apo) E-deficient mice were fed a hypercholesterolemic diet for 14 weeks. Mean serum cholesterol levels rose to 37.5 mM. Upon complete necroscopy, massive xanthomatous lesions were noticed in various tissues, with a predilection for subcutaneous and peritendinous tissues, while control animals on the same diet (3.4 mM serum cholesterol) and apo E-deficient mice on a regular chow ...

Serum concentrations of apolipoprotein (apo) A-I, apo B, and lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] were studied with respect to age and sex in a Finnish population sample of 575 subjects (286 men and 289 women), ages 27-67 years. Apo A-I and apo B were measured with an immunoturbidimetric method calibrated against WHO International Reference Materials. Lp(a) was measured by RIA. Apo A-I and apo B concentratio...

Apolipoprotein A-I (apo A-I) is the major protein of high-density lipoprotein. Compelling evidence suggests that measurement of concentrations of apo A-I in serum may be useful in predicting and assessing ischemic heart disease. The following review of methods of isolation, characterization, and assay of apo A-I has been developed to assess the possibility of standardizing apo A-I immunoassays....