Lipoprotein (a) and its relationship with other lipids and lipoproteins in Iranian college students

¯Abstract Backgrounds: Lipoprotein (a) or Lp(a) is a cholesterol-rich particle with atherothrombogenic properties. Plasma level of Lp(a) varies in different populations, however, little data on normal range of Lp(a) lipoprotein among Iranian population is available Objective: The aim of this study was to estimate the normal range of Lp(a) and also its relationship with other lipoproteins in a group of Iranian students. Methods: This was a cross-sectional descriptive analytical study carried out on 150 college students (88 females and 62 males) aged 19-30 (21.8±2.3) who were clinically healthy and coming from various regions of Iran. The fasting serum levels of Lp(a), lipids, lipoproteins, apolipoproteins, total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), were determined by standard kits. Lp(a) and apo-B100 measurement was performed using electro-immunoassay, and apo-A1 by an immunoturbidimetric method. The data were further analyzed using SPSS, U- and t-tests to compare the variables and also the Pearson correlation test in determination of correlation between Lp(a) and other variables. A p-value of ≤ 0.05 was considered to be significant. Findings: Lp(a) with a mean of 19.46±19.44 mg/dl, did not showed any significant differences between males (16.33±18.79 mg/dl) and females (21.41±19.80 mg/dl). In addition, no statistically significant correlation was demonstrated between the serum Lp(a) levels and oher variables such as age, lipids, and lipoproteins. A serum Lp(a) level higher than 30 mg/dl was shown in 14% of males, 36.5% of females and 21.5% of the total subjects. Conclusion: The mean serum concentration of Lp(a) in the present study was relatively higher than the values found by most researchers. This might be an acceptable explanation to high incidence of cardiovascular disease in some Iranian populations