High concentrations of Lp(a) lipoprotein in serum are common among patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms.

The serum concentrations of Lp(a) lipoprotein was determined in 57 patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) and in 56 controls. Twentynine of the AAA-patients also suffered from other cardiovascular diseases and eleven had brothers and sisters with AAAs. Lp(a) was significantly higher among the AAA-patients than among the controls (22.3 +/- 24.3 vs 12.6 +/- 20.4 mg/dl, p less than 0.01). The 28 AAA-patients without other cardiovascular diseases had a somewhat higher Lp(a) in serum than the other AAA-patients, but this difference was not statistically significant (26.4 +/- 28.4 vs 18.5 +/- 19.3 mg/dl). The 11 AAA-patients with AAAs in the family didn't differ from the other AAA-patients concerning Lp(a) in serum. Several genetic markers were also studied, and the seven Kell-positive AAA-patients had a significantly lower Lp(a) in serum than the 47 Kell-negative AAA-patients (7.0 +/- 10.3 vs 25.7 +/- 25.2 mg/dl, p less than 0.05).