Apolipoprotein A II is the second most abundant protein of the high density lipoprotein particles. The apolipoprotein A II gene consists of 4 exons and 3 introns. The four exons encode the 5' untranslated region, pre peptide, a short N terminal domain and a C terminal domain composed of a variable number of lipid binding amphipathic helices. Familial apolipoprotein A II deficiency may result from a splice junction alteration which blocks splicing of intron 3 from the primary transcript and