Biochemical and anthropometric determinants of serum beta- and pre-beta-lipoproteins in children. Bogalusa Heart Study

A special in-depth substudy was conducted on 388 children from a total biracial (black-white) population, who were stratified on levels of serum beta- and pre-beta-lipoprotein cholesterol to explore factors associated with lipoprotein levels in childhood. Biochemical parameters on venous blood samples were obtained both on fasting subjects and after an abbreviated glucose tolerance test, along with selected anthropometric measures like height, weight, and skinfolds. Biochemical and anthropometric relationships were minimal for children with elevated beta-lipoprotein cholesterol and low pre-beta-lipoprotein cholesterol. On the other hand, children with higher levels of pre-beta-lipoprotein cholesterol, with or without elevated beta-lipoprotein cholesterol, showed associations with fatness and slightly higher levels of glucose and insulin, with other biochemical parameters considered within normal levels. These differences noted among free-living children with different levels of serum lipoproteins provide clues to mechanisms involved in the early natural history of coronary artery disease.