Varieties of human serum lipoprotein pattern: evaluation by agarose gel electrophoresis.

Dyslipidemia has been associated with premature atherosclerosis and other pathological conditions, and the determination of serum lipids is of great importance in health and disease. Most of the lipids are transported in plasma in the form of lipoproteins. Four classes of lipoproteins have been recognized by electrophoresis: chylomicrons, beta-, pre-beta-, and alpha-lipoproteins. Fredrickson, Levy, and Lees (1) classified the hyperlipoproteinemias into five types by paper electrophoresis; their classification is a very useful diagnostic and therapeuticaid. The renewed interest in serum lipoproteins stimulated the development of improved electrophoretic methods for their determination (2-5).