Low high-density lipoprotein and reduced antipyrine metabolism in members of a family with polycystic liver disease.

A family with polycystic liver disease was investigated in order to evaluate the role of the liver in determining the serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL) level and its relationship to the rate of antipyrine elimination from plasma. The four subjects with polycystic liver disease had low serum HDL cholesterol, total cholesterol, and apoprotein A-II levels as compared with others in the family. There was an inverse relationship between HDL cholesterol and apoproteins and the antipyrine half-life in plasma. The results demonstrate that serum HDL levels and the antipyrine metabolism, both reflectors of hepatic function, might be altered in parallel in subjects with polycystic liver. The findings presumably reflect the effects of cysts on liver parenchyma and changes in the hepatic blood flow.