[Lipoproteins, post-heparin lipoprotein lipase and hepatic triglyceride lipase in patients with and without severe hyperlipemia caused by alcoholism].

Because of the high incidence for development of a secondary hyperlipemia during chronic alcohol intake, this study was performed to look for a possible reason, why some patients produce severe hyperlipemia and other ones not. 15 male patients with chronic alcoholism (group I) who produce under influence of alcohol a secondary type-V hyperlipoproteinemia (type-V HLP) were compared with 15 male controls. Additionally, 8 male patients with chronic alcoholism (group II) who were normolipemic under alcohol abuse, and 7 male patients (group II) who had also produced type-V HLP under chronic alcohol abuse, but were teetotal since at least 6 months, were investigated. In comparison with controls, patients of group I showed significantly (p less than 0.01) increased plasma concentrations of very low-density lipoproteins (VLDL) and significantly decreased plasma concentrations of low-density lipoproteins (LDL), high-density lipoproteins2 (HDL2) and HDL3 (all p less than 0.01). Furthermore, the activities of postheparin lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and hepatic lipase (HTGL) were significantly decreased (both p less than 0.01). In patients of group III, the plasma concentrations of lipoproteins did not differ significantly from controls, but the activity of LPL was also significantly impaired (p less than 0.01), whereas the activity of HTGL was distinctly (p less than 0.01) increased. No significant difference between patients of group II and controls could be demonstrated. It is concluded that severe alcohol intake strongly impairs LPL in patients with chronic alcoholism. The pronounced increase of HTGL in patients of group III seems to protect these individuals from producing severe hyperlipemia under the influence of alcohol.