Lipoprotein abnormalities in cholestasis. II. Isolation, characterization and clinical evaluation of an additional cholestatic lipoprotein (slow-migrating HDL).

An additional cholestatic lipoprotein with a slower mobility than the usual alpha-lipoprotein on polyacrylamide-gel disc-electrophoresis was found in the serum of patients with cholestasis. This abnormal lipoprotein was referred to as Slwo-migrating HDL (HDL-S), because it was mostly recovered in the high density lipoprotein (HDL) fraction after preparative ultracentrifugation. HDL-S was precipitated by dextran sulfate and Mg++ but did not react with either concanavalin A or anti-beta-lipoprotein serum. The main apoprotein of HDL-S was Apo A-I, and a trace of Apo E was also present. HDL-S was relatively enriched in free cholesterol and triglycerides and had a density in the range of 1.063 to 1.083. The appearance of HDL-S in serum or plasma was closely associated with chronic mild intrahepatic cholestasis, particularly as in primary biliary cirrhosis and related conditions.