Korean J Clin Pathol.  2002 Apr;22(2):84-89.

Correlations among Serum Lipoprotein (a), LDL cholesterol, and Apolipoprotein (a) Concentrations in Liver Cirrhosis

• Chun SI
• Chung YH
• Min WK

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The structure of lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] includes a low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) component and apolipoprotein(a) [apo(a)] linked to apolipoprotein B-100 of LDL-C with a disulfide bond. Liver cirrhosis is the only disease in which the decrease of serum Lp(a) concentra-tion is observed as a secondary effect. In this study, we tried to investigate the mechanisms for the Lp(a) decrease in cirrhotic patients.
METHODS
Forty Child 's class A cirrhotic patients, 40 Child 's class C patients from Asan Medical Center, and 80 healthy controls were recruited. Serum concentrations of interleukin-6 (IL-6), LDL-C, Lp(a), and free apo(a) were measured.
RESULTS
The serum concentrations of Lp(a) in the Child 's class C patients were significantly lower than those in class A and the control group (P < 0.05). The apo(a) concentrations in the Child 's class C patients were significantly lower than those in class A and the control group (P < 0.05). The LDL-C concentrations of Child 's class C patients were significantly lower than those in class A and the con-trol group (P < 0.01). The IL-6 concentrations of Child 's class C patients were significantly higher than those in class A and the control group (P < 0.005). Serum concentrations of Lp(a) showed positive correlations with those of LDL-C (r=0.42, P < 0.0001) and with those of the free apo(a) (r=0.68, P < 0.0001). But serum concentrations of IL-6 had no correlation to those of the Lp(a) or the free apo(a).
CONCLUSIONS
Considering the positive correlation between Lp(a) and LDL-C, the decrease in the serum Lp(a) in cirrhotic patients could be due mainly to the decrease in the LDL component, although we could not suggest the mechanism for the LDL decrease.

Keyword

Lipoprotein(a); LDL-C; Apolipoprotein(a); Liver cirrhosis

MeSH Terms

Apolipoprotein B-100
Apolipoproteins*
Apoprotein(a)*
Child
Cholesterol
Cholesterol, LDL*
Chungcheongnam-do
Humans
Interleukin-6
Lipoprotein(a)*
Lipoproteins*
Liver Cirrhosis*
Liver*
Apolipoprotein B-100
Apolipoproteins
Apoprotein(a)
Cholesterol
Cholesterol, LDL
Interleukin-6
Lipoprotein(a)
Lipoproteins