[Cholesterol content and distribution in cord blood plasma (author's transl)].

Mean concentration of total cholesterol, measured in 156 samples of cord blood plasma, determined according to the method of Huang et al. was 70.5 mg./dl. (SD +/- 14.7). This value is comparable to that obtained by other authors in different countries. Concentration of cholesterol corresponding to the high density lipoprotein (HDL) was measured by precipitating with Heparin and Mn++, in 141 samples of cord blood plasma. Mean concentration was 31.2 mg. of HDL-cholesterol per dl of plasma (SD +/- 9.0). This value represents 45.5% (SD +/- 13.0) of total cholesterol, and it is also similar to that reported by others. These results indicate, therefore, that total cholesterol concentration and its distribution among the lipoprotein fractions are practically the same for all the population samples so far examined.