Serum cholesterol and apoprotein B levels and serum cholinesterase activity in selected hematologic malignancies.

As compared to values recorded in 10 healthy normal-weight normolipidemic control subjects, serum cholesterol and apoprotein B levels as well as serum cholinesterase activity were found to be obviously decreased in the 28 patients with acute leukemia, the lowest levels being associated with the worst prognosis. The values of the above-mentioned biochemical variables in the 21 patients with chronic disorders (13 with chronic myeloproliferative disease and 8 with chronic lymphocytic leukemia) were not as low as in patients with acute leukemia. It should however be mentioned that in patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia, the lowest levels of serum cholesterol were correlated with a large tumor burden as assessed by a score taking into account for clinical and hematologic parameters. It is concluded that hypocholesterolemia could be regarded as a factor of adverse prognosis in hematologic malignancies, being probably the result of both enhanced catabolism of low density lipoproteins and impaired hepatic lipoprotein synthesis.