Association of the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio and concentrations of plasma lipids with high-density lipoprotein subclass distribution in the Chinese population.

Background: To evaluate the relationship between the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C)/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) ratio and HDL subclass distribution and to further examine and discuss the potential impact of LDL-C and HDL-C together with TG on HDL subclass metabolism.

Results: Small-sized prebeta1-HDL, HDL3b and HDL3a increased significantly while large-sized HDL2a and HDL2b decreased significantly as the LDL-C/HDL-C ratio increased. The subjects in low HDL-C level (< 1.03 mmol/L) who had an elevation of the LDL-C/HDL-C ratio and a reduction of HDL2b/prebeta1-HDL regardless of an undesirable or high LDL-C level. At desirable LDL-C levels (< 3.34 mmol/L), the HDL2b/prebeta1-HDL ratio was 5.4 for the subjects with a high HDL-C concentration (> or = 1.55 mmol/L); however, at high LDL-C levels (> or = 3.36 mmol/L), the ratio of LDL-C/HDL-C was 2.8 in subjects, and an extremely low HDL2b/prebeta1-HDL value although with high HDL-C concentration.

Conclusion: With increase of the LDL-C/HDL-C ratio, there was a general shift toward smaller-sized HDL particles, which implied that the maturation process of HDL was blocked. High HDL-C concentrations can regulate the HDL subclass distribution at desirable and borderline LDL-C levels but cannot counteract the influence of high LDL-C levels on HDL subclass distribution.