Method and kit for quantitatively determining small, dense LDL cholesterol

1. A method for quantitatively determining small, dense low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in a sample, comprising the steps of:

(1) eliminating cholesterol in LDL other than small, dense LDL in the presence of a phospholipase that has high reactivity with at least sphingomyelin and/or phosphatidylinositol, which is a phospholipid existing in lipoproteins, and then

(2) quantitatively determining cholesterol in the remaining small, dense LDL.

2. The method for quantitatively determining small, dense LDL cholesterol according to claim 1 , wherein the concentration of phospholipase to be used in step (1) ranges from 0.1 U/mL to 100 U/mL.

3. The method for quantitatively determining small, dense LDL cholesterol according to claim 1 , wherein an enzyme for cholesterol measurement is added in the presence of a surfactant that acts on at least small, dense LDL in step (2).

4. The method for quantitatively determining small, dense LDL cholesterol according to claim 3 , wherein the surfactant that acts on at least small, dense LDL, which is used in step (2), is a surfactant that acts on all lipoproteins.

5. The method for quantitatively determining small, dense low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol according to claim 3 , wherein the surfactant that acts on at least small, dense LDL, which is used in step (2), is a polyoxyethylene-polyoxypropylene copolymer or a derivative thereof, or a polyoxyethylene derivative with hydrophile-lipophile (HLB) of 11 or more and less than 14.

6. The method for quantitatively determining small, dense LDL cholesterol according to claim 1 , further comprising step (a) of eliminating cholesterol in lipoproteins other than LDL in a sample in the presence of cholesterol esterase, which is carried out before step (2), but simultaneously with, before, or after step (1).

7. The method for quantitatively determining small, dense LDL cholesterol according to claim 6 , wherein the concentration of cholesterol esterase to be used in step (a) ranges from 0.01 U/mL to 10 U/mL.

8. The method for quantitatively determining small, dense LDL cholesterol according to claim 6 , wherein a surfactant that acts on lipoproteins other than LDL is further added in step (a).

9. The method for quantitatively determining small, dense low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol according to claim 8 , wherein the concentration of the surfactant to be used in step (a) ranges from 0.05% (w/v) to 1.0% (w/v).

10. The method for quantitatively determining small, dense LDL cholesterol according to claim 6 , wherein cholesterol oxidase and catalase are further added in step (a).

11. The method for quantitatively determining small, dense LDL cholesterol according to claim 6 , wherein cholesterol oxidase and 4 aminoantipyrine are further added in step (a).

12. The method for quantitatively determining small, dense LDL cholesterol according to claim 6 , wherein the reaction in step (a) and the reaction in step (1) are conducted simultaneously in the same solution.

13. The method for quantitatively determining small, dense LDL cholesterol according to claim 6 , wherein the surfactant to be used in step (a) is a nonionic surfactant selected from the group consisting of a polyoxyethylene derivative, polyoxyethylene alkyl ether, polyoxyethylene alkyl phenyl ether, and polyoxyethylene alkyl amine, an anionic surfactant selected from the group consisting of polyoxyethylene alkyl ether sulfate, alkyl sulfate, amide ether sulfate, alkyl taurate, and a phosphate-type surfactant, a cationic surfactant selected from the group consisting of an alkyl methyl ammonium salt, a quaternary ammonium salt, and a mono-linear alkyl type surfactant, or an amphoteric surfactant selected from the group consisting of lauryl betaine, dimethyl alkyl betaine, an imidazoline type surfactant, and sodium alkyldiaminoethyl glycine.