Comparison of gradient gel electrophoresis and zonal ultracentrifugation for quantitation of high density lipoproteins.

The study was conducted to compare gradient gel electrophoresis (GGE) and zonal ultracentrifugation for quantitation of human plasma high density lipoproteins (HDL). Plasma samples were obtained from seven normal subjects consuming a high fat diet (65% total calories) followed by a high carbohydrate diet (65% total calories). HDL were fractionated into HDL2 and HDL3 by zonal ultracentrifugation and lipid and protein mass were determined. HDL were also fractionated by GGE and the results were compared to the zonal method. Zonally isolated HDL2 represented a homogeneous particle population that was equivalent to HDL2b as determined by GGE. By the zonal method, HDL2 accounted for 27 +/- 4% (mean +/- SEM) of total HDL mass in subjects on the high fat diet as compared to 16 +/- 2% in subjects fed the high carbohydrate diet; by GGE, the HDL2b values were 27 +/- 4% and 14 +/- 1%, respectively. The coefficient of correlation (n = 25) for the two methods was 0.894 (P less than 0.001).