The pro- and antiatherogenic roles of apolipoproteins B and A-I, respectively, are well-established although the importance of apolipoprotein A-II remains unclear. There is extensive evidence for the involvement of plasma lipoproteins in haemostatic function. However, in-vivo studies of relationships between haemostatic variables and apolipoprotein concentrations are very limited. Plasma fibrinogen, factors VIIc and Xc (FVIIc and FXc, respectively), apolipoproteins (apo) A-I, A-II and B, triglycerides, total, low-density and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and cholesterol in HDL subfractions 2 and 3 were measured in 186 apparently healthy Caucasian men (aged 26-78 years; body mass index 19.9-37.8 kg/m(2)). Associations between haemostatic, apolipoprotein, lipid and lipoprotein variables were explored in uni- and multivariable analyses. Fibrinogen did not correlate with any of the lipid-related variables. FVIIc and FXc were significant positive univariate correlates of total cholesterol (correlation coefficients 0.26, p<0.001 and 0.19, p<0.05, respectively) triglycerides (0.37, p<0.001 and 0.36, p<0.001), and apoB (0.21, p<0.01 and 0.17, p<0.05) and apoA-II (0.19, p<0.05 and 0.29, p<0.001). HDL(2) subfraction cholesterol correlated negatively with FVIIc and FXc (-0.20, p<0.01 and -0.22, p<0.01, respectively). In multivariable analysis, only the associations of FVIIc and FXc with total cholesterol, triglycerides and apoA-II remained statistically significant. In conclusion, total cholesterol and triglycerides were the major independent lipid correlates of FVIIc and FXc. The independent and positive associations of apoA-II with FVIIc and FXc suggest a prothrombotic involvement for this apolipoprotein.