The many faces of cholesterol in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease.

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease has some effects on cholesterol metabolism and cardiovascular disease that are shared with other chronic kidney diseases and others that are distinctive and directly caused by disruption of polycystins. The pravastatin clinical trial by Gitomer et al. does not support treatment with statins for the only purpose of delaying disease progression. Emergence of novel lipid-lowering therapies presents new therapeutic opportunities but also risks. Recent studies suggest that cholesterol is important for traffic to and function of polycystins in primary cilia.