Lipoproteins, HDL-apolipoproteins, activities of hepatic lipase and lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase in the plasma of patients with post-alcoholic end-stage liver cirrhosis

Summary

12 patients with unequivocal post-alcoholic end-stage liver cirrhosis were compared with 12 healthy controls with regard to the plasma concentrations of lipids, lipoproteins (by rate zonal ultra-centrifugation) and apolipoproteins of high-density-lipoproteins (HDL) (by disc electrophoresis), as well as to the activities of lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) in plasma and of hepatic lipase (HL) in post-heparin plasma. The cirrhotic group showed the following differences (all significant at thep<0.01 level) from the control group: Total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, very-low-density-lipoproteins (VLDL), HDL, and HL were decreased. Intermediate-density-lipoproteins (IDL) were not detectable in the cirrhotic group. Low-density-lipoproteins (LDL) did not differ significantly from controls. However, LDL from cirrhotic patients contained more triglycerides but less esterified and free cholesterol (allp<0.01). The percentage apolipoprotein composition of HDL did not differ significantly between controls and cirrhotics.

Surprisingly, LCAT acivity in plasma as well as the ratios between esterified and free cholesterol in plasma, LDL, and HDL were nearly identical in both groups. It seems likely that LCAT activity decreases only in the states of acute or subacute liver injury or of biliary obstruction. Severe chronic liver damage as in our cases of end-stage liver cirrhosis without any signs of acute liver injury exhibits apparently no defect in cholesterol esterification.