Mutants of Apolipoproteins A and C

The determination of the circulating levels of apolipoproteins has become common practice in clinical laboratories, in view of the apparent correlation between levels of specific apolipoproteins and increased or decreased cardiovascular risk [1, 2]. In particular, increased apolipoprotein B levels, both in whole plasma and in specific lipoprotein fractions, e.g. low density lipoproteins (LDL) [3], seem to be associated to a raised risk, the opposite being the case for apo AI [4]. Increased apolipoprotein (apo) E levels have been described in primary dysbetalipoproteinemia, often associated with premature vascular diseases [5]; on the other hand, the reductions of both apo AI and, as more recently described, apo D levels [6], seem to be correlated with a raised cardiovascular risk. Similar correlations for other apolipoproteins, although evaluated by numerous Authors, have not provided univocal findings in terms of predictivity of risk.