[Apolipoprotein A-I and B in laboratory diagnostics of dyslipidemia--what benefits do we gain compared with cholesterol measurements?].

Laboratory diagnostics of dyslipidemia has been based on serum total cholesterol, HDL- cholesterol, triglycerides, and calculated or direct LDL-cholesterol measurements. Apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I) is the main protein in HDL particles, and apoB is the main protein in all other atherogenic lipoprotein particles. An increased number of apoB-containing lipoproteins with normal total and LDL-cholesterol is a common feature associated with obesity, metabolic syndrome, or type 2 diabetes. If the risk assessment of cardiovascular disease in these cardiometabolic disturbances is primarily based on LDL-cholesterol levels, the actual risk may be underestimated. Instead of cholesterol measurements, ApoA-Iand apoB measurements could produce more specific information on dyslipidemia.