HDL SUBFRACTIONS AS ALTERED IN CANCER-PATIENTS

Previous studies from the authors' laboratories have shown that cancer patients are characterized by lower levels of high-density lipoprotei n cholesterol (HDL-C) compared with those of normal subjects. HDLs are a complex class of lipoproteins which can be divided mainly into two categories, HDL(2) and HDL(3), that have not only different lipid and protein composition but also different functions. Therefore, for a bet ter understanding of the metabolism of HDL during tumour growth, the d ifferent subfractions of HDL (HDL(2) and HDL(3)) were analysed in the serum of neoplastic patients using a rapid and simple high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for the analysis. The results obt ained showed that serum from neoplastic patients exhibits a peculiar p attern in the distribution of HDL subfractions, consisting of a sharp decrease in HDL(3) and a consequent increase of the normal HDL(2)/HDL( 3) ratio. It is suggested that evaluation of the HDL subfractions may be of clinical relevance for cancer status and that due to its simplic ity, short analytical time and small sample volume required, the HPLC technique used in this study can be easily applied to routine analysis in cancer patients.