Aim To investigate the association between high density lipoprotein （HDL） subclasses and plasma cholesterol concentration in metabolic syndrome （MS）.Methods Concentrations of plasma lipids and the apolipoproteins were detected by automated biochemical analyzer,HDL subclasses were determined by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis associated with immunodetection. According to the Chinese Adult Dyslipidemia Prevention Guide,the MS subjects were divided into three groups of total cholesterol （TC） <5.17 mmol/L,5.17 mmol/L≤TC<6.21 mmol/L,TC≥6.21 mmol/L.Results Compared with their counterparts of the control,the levels of plasma fasting plasma glucose （FPG）,TC,TG,low density lipoprotein cholesterol （LDLC）,apolipoprotein B₁₀₀（apoB₁₀₀）,preβ₁-HDL,HDL_3b,apoB₁₀₀/AI and LDLC/HDLC were significantly increased in MS （P<0.05 or P<0.001）,the concentrations of high density lipoprotein cholesterol （HDLC）,apolipoprotein AI （apoAI）,HDL_2a and HDL_2b were significantly decreased in MS （P<0.05 or P<0.001）. The content of preβ₁-HDL and HDL_3b were increased,while the HDL_2a and HDL_2b were decreased significantly,with the increasing of plasma TC levels in MS. The decreasing of HDLC levels and （or） the increasing of LDLC levels make the plasma HDL subclass abnormal,what’s more,the abnormal HDLC content played a stronger role when both of them are abnormal,the content of small particles preβ₁-HDL have increasing trend and the content of HDL_2b have decreasing trend. The levels of plasma TC,HDLC and LDLC were positively correlated with the abnormal HDL subclass distribution analyzed by linear correlation and multiple regression analysis.Conclusion The plasma TC level may be related to HDL subclasses distribution abnormality in MS.