Background: Oxidized LDL are supposed to play a key role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Oxidative modification makes LDL immunogenic and a substrate for the antibody (anti-ox-LDL) pro duction. Concentra- tions of the anti-ox-LDL correlate, in some studies, with different markers of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, however the findings are often inconsistent and clinical significance of anti-ox-LDL is not clear as yet. Materials and methods: We investigated concentrations of anti-ox-LDL in 125 persons consecutively examined in the Lipid out-patient department of the IVth Dept. Intern Med. of the 1 st Medial Faculty, Prague, during the period November 1997 – April 1998. In this group of persons we compared the group of probands with low (lower quintiles – Q1+2) anti-ox-LDL concentrations (< 330 mU/l) with those with higher (> 520 mU/l) ones (upper quintiles – Q4+5). In all the probands basic clinical and anthropometric examinations were made, the concentrations of plasma lipids, lipoproteins were measured and fatty acid composition and parameters of lipid peroxidation of both VLDL and LDL isolated by preparative ultracentrifugation were determined. Results and conclusions: The patients with lower titres were characterised by higher BMI, WHCR, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, relative amount of adipose tissue, biceps and subscapularis skinfold thickness, higher concentrations of total cholesterol, apo B, non-esterified fatty acids in plasma, of cholesterol and phospholipids in VLDL as well as phospholipids in LDL and different fatty acid composition of both plasma and LDL lipids. These findings correspond to characteristics of plurimetabolic syndrome, where buoya nt VLDL particles are more than usually catabolized via hepatic E-receptors and a substantial part of them is not converted to LDL. It is also possible that the lower concentration of anti-ox-LDL in this group is a consequence of the presence of immunocomplexes, interfering with the anti-ox-LDL detection.

        Key words: anti-ox-LDL, VLDL and LDL composition, lipid peroxidation of VLDL and LDL, plurimetabolic