The immunoreactivities of LDL (low density lipoprotein) samples obtained from a variety of subjects were analyzed by comparing their capacities to compete with 125I-labeled LDL for binding to various monoclonal anti-LDL antibodies in competitive binding assays. A marked variation in epitope expression was observed. In comparison to an LDL standard, different preparations exhibited immunoreactivities (expressed as apparent apoB content) ranging from 30 to 400% of the LDL standard. Some epitopes were much more uniformly expressed than others. The number of epitopes expressed in different LDL preparations appeared to be related to the percentage composition of various lipid constituents in LDL. The results support the hypothesis that the epitope expression of apoB is modulated by the composition of the lipids associated with it.