Effect of heparin on lecithin: cholesterol acyltransferase and lipids in cholestasis.

The effect of heparin on the proportion of cholesterol esters, lecithin/lysolecithin ratio, and lecithin: cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) activity was studied in twelve patients with cholestasis. A good correlation was observed between a decreased LCAT activity and the proportion of cholesterol esters, and no consistent variation was noted after heparin. The lecithin/lysolecithin ratio was increased in 7 patients and became normal after heparin in 6 cases. The clearance of lipoprotein-X after heparin seems to be not related to LCAT activity. These results demonstrate that heparin does not modify the LCAT activity, and suggest that heparin induces an increase of phospholipase activity in some patients with cholestasis.