Lipoprotein lipase activity of adipose tissue, skeletal muscle and post-heparin plasma in primary endogenous hypertriglyceridaemia: relation to lipoprotein pattern and to obesity.

The lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activity was determined from heparin eluates of adipose tissue and skeletal muscle and from post-heparin plasma of sixty-five males with hypertriglyceridaemia and of seventy males with normal serum lipid levels. The patients were subgrouped by their lipoprotein concentrations into types 2b, 4 and 5. The mean LPL activity of adipose tissue (per tissue weight) of nonobese type 2b, 4 and 5 patients was reduced to 54%, 41% and 13%, respectively, of the corresponding value of normolipidaemic men. On the other hand, among obese hyperglyceridaemic men only those with type 5 showed a decreased LPL activity in adipose tissue (44%). The mean skeletal muscle LPL was subnormal in nonobese type 4 (55%) and in type 5 patients (34%) but was normal in type 2b and in obese type 4 patients. The post-heparin plasma LPL activity was significantly reduced in all nonobese hyperglyceridaemic groups but was normal in obese patients apart from cases with type 5 who had low values. One exceptional subject with type 5 had high post-heparin plasma LPL activity. It is concluded that a low LPL activity may be a crucial factor in the pathogenesis of hypertriglyceridaemia in nonobese subjects and in patients having type 5 disorder.