Lipoprotein abnormalities in patients with early primary biliary cirrhosis.

In twelve females with early forms of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) serum lipoproteins, the intravenous fat tolerance test ( IVFTT ) and the lecithin: cholesterol acyl transferase (LCAT) rate were determined and compared to healthy controls. The cholestatic LDL (LP-X) test was negative in all cases. PBC patients had lower very low density lipoprotein TG concentrations than controls and had levels of (high-density lipoprotein) HDL-TG, -cholesterol and -phospholipids that were about 50% higher than in controls. In PBC the HDL2-cholesterol concentration was double but the HDL3-cholesterol concentration was 60% of control values (P less than 0.001 for both). The LCAT rate and the IVFTT value did not differ between the groups. A typical finding on agarose gel electrophoresis was the appearance of a slow-moving alpha-band. Several interpretations of these results are possible. In PBC the hepatic lipase activity may be impaired leading to a shift of the HDL2/HDL3 relation. The transport of HDL2 to the liver lipase site may also be affected and HDL3 production reduced due to malabsorption in the intestine.