Differential low density lipoprotein hydrated density distribution in female and male patients with familial hypercholesterolemia.

The low density lipoprotein (LDL) hydrated density distribution and composition was studied by using density gradient ultracentrifugation in 26 heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia patients (FH) (13 females and 13 males) and 28 normolipidemic subjects (14 females and 14 males). The average peak hydrated density of LDL mass in female FH patients was 1.0301 g/ml as compared with 1.0333 g/ml in male FH patients (P less than 0.01) indicating less dense LDL particles in females. A similar difference in the average peak density was observed between normolipidemic females and males (1.0315 g/ml and 1.0342 g/ml, respectively; P less than 0.001). The FH males had a significantly lower mean triglyceride (Tg) content in their LDL (4.8%), lower Tg to apolipoprotein B (Apo B) weight ratio (0.24) and higher cholesteryl ester (CE) to triglyceride weight ratio (9.11) in comparison to FH females (Tg 6.2%; Tg/Apo B 0.31; CE/Tg 5.99), P less than 0.05 in all. Similar LDL composition differences were also observed between normolipidemic males and females.