Lipid peroxides, glutathione peroxidase, high density lipoprotein subfractions and apolipoproteins in young adults.

Lipid peroxides have been implicated in the initiation of atherogenesis. In this study of 23 young healthy subjects, high levels of serum lipid peroxides were associated with low serum HDL2 cholesterol concentrations and low HDL2/HDL3 cholesterol and apolipoprotein A-I/A-II ratios. Low levels of LDL cholesterol and apolipoprotein B, and low apolipoprotein B/A-I ratios were typical of subjects with high serum glutathione peroxidase activities. Serum lipid peroxide levels varied widely in subjects without abnormal cholesterol, HDL cholesterol or LDL cholesterol concentrations. This variation may play a role in the frequent occurrence of coronary artery disease in normolipidaemic individuals.