TYPE-III HYPERLIPOPROTEINEMIA AND RENAL-DISEASE

Twelve patients (seven women and five men) were identified with chroni c renal disease and homozygosity for apolipoprotein (apo) E2. All subj ects were shown to have dysbetalipoproteinemia (an elevated ratio of v ery-low-density lipoprotein cholesterol to serum triglycerides, i.e., >0.3) and/or type III hyperlipoproteinemia (HLP). The causes of the re nal disease were heterogeneous and no significant correlations could b e shown between lipid levels and age of the patients, duration of the renal disease, or maintenance hemodialysis. However, renal disease see ms to be one of the factors influencing the phenotypic expression of t ype III HLP in genetically predisposed individuals. Hence, apo E2 homo zygotes with renal disease might be particularly prone to the developm ent of hyperlipidemia, and thus accelerated atherosclerosis.