Plasma concentrations of LPL and LCAT are in putative association with females and alcohol use which are independent negative risk factors for coronary atherosclerosis among Japanese.

BACKGROUND: Coronary heart disease (CHD) prevalence appears low among Japanese. Analysis of their negative risk factors is therefore important for public health strategy.

METHODS: We analyzed the impact on coronary atherosclerosis of sex, alcohol intake, plasma lipoproteins and enzymes to regulate cholesterol transport, lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) for the 110 patients who underwent coronary angiography, consecutively enrolled by excluding those >70 years or under hypolipidemic-drug treatment. Subgroup combinations compared were males vs. females in non-drinkers, and drinkers vs. non-drinkers in males.

RESULTS: Coronary stenosis was less in females and in drinkers, accompanied by high-density lipoprotein (HDL) in the respective comparison. LPL associated with sex (females>males) and LCAT with alcohol intake (drinkers>non-drinkers) although neither enzyme demonstrated direct correlation with coronary stenosis. LPL positively associated only with HDL in most of subgroups and LCAT correlated with low-density lipoprotein (LDL) in all subgroups but with HDL only in males.

CONCLUSIONS: Among non-drinkers, females are at lower risk for coronary atherosclerosis than males mainly due to higher HDL in potential association with high LPL, and that drinkers are protected among males also by high HDL that is in apparent association with LCAT.