Six-month intra-individual variations of plasma lipoprotein (a) inCollege StudentsSix-month intra-individual variations of plasma lipoprotein (a) in 30 College Students

Background: Lipoprotein (a) [Lp(a)] is a cholesterol-rich particle with atherothrombogenic properties. Plasma level of Lp(a) is mainly determined genetically, but other factors may also affect it. There is little available data on normal range and biological variations of Lp(a) among Iranian population. Objective: To evaluate the biological variations of Lp(a) and other serum lipids in 30 college students during a six-month period. Methods: This was a descriptive analytical study in which the fasting serum levels of Lp(a), lipids, and lipoproteins of 30 college students (20 females, 10 males, age ranged between 22 to 26 years, who were clinically health, and coming from various regions of Iran) were measured once a month over a 6-month period. Intra-individual standard deviations, variances and coefficients of variations (CV) were determined for Lp(a), total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C). Findings: Plasma Lp(a) with a mean of 14.7±12.7 mg/dl showed an intra-individual CV ranged from 5.4 to 53.4% with a mean of 11% . The Lp(a) variations were negatively correlated with Lp(a) concentration and changes in TC, and LDL-C levels. Total intra-individual CV for other lipids ranged from 11% for TC to 24.5% for TG. Conclusion: Plasma Lp(a) showed intermediate mean concentration and relatively high intra-individual variations in our study population. This variation was similar to that of total cholesterol, but hardly lower than triglycerides. Plasma Lp(a) variations was negatively related to cholesterol variations and Lp(a) concentration.