Apolipoprotein B and coronary artery disease in women: a cross-sectional study in women undergoing their first coronary angiography.

The association between plasma apolipoprotein (apo) B concentrations and angiographically determined coronary artery disease (CAD) was investigated in women in a cross-sectional study. Stenosis of >60% in 1 or more coronary arteries was classified as CAD+. CAD- was defined as a maximum stenosis of 10% in any coronary artery. Fasting plasma concentrations of apoB, apoA-I, cholesterol (chol), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-chol), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-chol), and triglycerides (TGs) were determined. Information on nonlipid risk factors was obtained from questionnaires. CAD+ women (n=160) were older than CAD- women (n=129), 64.0+/-7.8 vs 57.8+/-11.1 years, respectively. CAD+ compared with CAD- women had higher frequencies of diabetes (14.7% vs 5.8%, P=0.05), hypertension (53% vs 37%, P=0.018), and ever-smoking (48% vs 35%, P<0.001). CAD+ women had higher plasma concentrations of apoB (1.48+/-0.32 vs 1.25+/-0.34 g/L, P<0.001), chol (7.01+/-1.19 vs 6.38+/-1.22 mmol/L, P=0.001), LDL-chol (4.74+/-1.09 vs 4.13+/-1.13 mmol/L, P<0.001), and TGs (1.98+/-0.84 vs 1.71+/-0.93 mmol/L, P=0.007) and lower levels of HDL-chol (1.28+/-0.28 vs 1.37+/-1.38 mmol/L, P=0.028). After correction for nonlipid risk factors, apoB, chol, LDL-chol, HDL-chol, and TG were independently related to CAD. In the lowest quartiles of chol, LDL-chol, and TG, CAD+ women had higher apoB concentrations than CAD- women. In contrast, chol, LDL-chol, TG, or HDL-chol levels were not different in any quartile of apoB. ApoB showed the most significant relation with the number of stenotic vessels, and apoB was associated with CAD in the normolipidemic subgroup. In conclusion, apoB was superior to chol, LDL-chol, HDL-chol, TG, and apoA-I in discriminating between CAD+ and CAD-.