ELEVATED ENDOTHELIN LEVELS IN PATIENTS WITH HYPERLIPOPROTEINEMIA

We determined lipoproteins, apolipoproteins, and endothelin in 98 pati ents (58 female and 40 male, age 18-72 years) with hyperlipidemia (pla sma cholesterol > 2.5 g/l and/or triglycerides > 2.0 g/l) and in 50 he althy subjects (20 female, 30 male, age 19-68 years). In patients with hyperlipidemia endothelin levels were elevated compared to healthy co ntrols. Patients with plasma cholesterol above 2.5 g/l had higher endo thelin and lipoprotein(a) concentrations than patients with plasma cho lesterol levels less than 2.5 g/l. A positive correlation was found be tween the concentrations of endothelin and apolipoprotein B (r = 0.213 7; P < 0.013). Smoking patients with lipoprotein (a) above 300 mg/l ha d higher endothelin levels than both nonsmoking patients with lipoprot ein (a) above 300 mg/l and smokers with normal lipoprotein(a). In smok ers endothelin correlated positively with Lp(a) (r = 0.709; P < 0.01). No correlation was found between endothelin and triglycerides nor bet ween endothelin and age or sex. The results suggest that the vasoconst rictor endothelin contributes to the increased vasal tone in hyperlipi demia. Because endothelin also has mitogenic properties, it may play a relevant role in the development of premature atherosclerosis in pati ents with hyperlipidemia.