Aortic intimal lipid content and serum lipoproteins in patients undergoing coronary by-pass surgery as related to clinical prognosis

Intimal lipid concentrations were determined in aortic biopsies obtained during coronary by-pass surgery. In addition serum lipoprotein and apolipoprotein levels were quantitated and their relationships to aortic intimal lipid concentrations were analysed. The possibility to use aortic intimal lipid and serum lipoprotein or apolipoprotein concentrations to predict clinical prognosis following the coronary by-pass operation was also evaluated. Intimal cholesterol, cholesterol ester, phosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin were intercorrelated, whereas none of these lipid fractions correlated to aortic intimal triglyceride levels. Patients with hypertension had higher aortic intimal cholesterol ester levels than normotensive patients. There was a positive correlation between the number of stenosed coronary arteries and serum apo B or triglyceride levels. In addition there was a negative correlation between the number of stenosed arteries and HDL-cholesterol. Prognosis after the operation was inversely correlated to serum apo A-I levels. Our data do not, however, support the notion that aortic intimal lipid levels can be used to evaluate prognosis after coronary by-pass surgery.