The major apoprotein of high density lipoprotein is apolipoprotein A-I (ApoA-I). In addition to being a structural component of this class of lipoproteins, ApoA-I also has a physiologic role as an activator of lecithin-cholesterol acyl transferase, an enzyme important in the metabolism of all lipoproteins. To measure ApoA-I content in human plasma, to assess its immunologic activity in hyperlipoproteinemia, and to carry out certain structural studies of high density lipoproteins, we have developed a double antibody radioimmunoassay. ApoA-I, isolated by gel filtration, was used to produce monospecific antisera. ApoA-I was iodinated by chloramine-T and the resulting [(125)I]-ApoA-I was purified by gel filtration. > 85% of [(125)I]-ApoA-I was precipitated by antibody, and 90% of bound [(125)I]ApoA-I was displaced by "cold" ApoA-I. Other lipoproteins and apoproteins did not react. Plasma and high density lipoprotein from normals and subjects with hyperlipoproteinemia displaced counts in parallel with ApoA-I, suggesting that the same antigenic determinants were reacting with antibody on lipid-free and lipid-associated ApoA-I. However, less than 5% of ApoA-I of high density lipoprotein reacted in the assay. Removal of the lipid by extraction increased the reactivity of ApoA-I in high density lipoprotein 15-20-fold; thus more than 95% of the ApoA-I molecules in "intact" high density lipoprotein are unreactive with antibody. Normal and hyperlipoproteinemic plasma and high density lipoproteins isolated from the same subjects continued to display parallelism with ApoA-I standard after lipid extraction, suggesting that ApoA-I of normal and hyperliproteinemic subjects are immunologically identical. About 90% of ApoA-I was in the d 1.063-1.21 fractions of normal plasma, trace quantities were found in the lipoproteins of d < 1.063, and the rest (about 10%) was in the d > 1.21 fraction. Normal plasma levels, assessed in extracted plasmas with a precision of 8%, were 100+/-35 mg/dl. Levels were normal in small groups of subjects with types II and IV hyperlipoproteinemia and high in pregnancy. However, larger population studies need to be performed to determine the distribution of ApoA-I levels in the various hyperlipoproteinemias.