POSTHEPARIN LIPOLYTIC-ACTIVITY IN ACUTE AND CHRONIC-RENAL-FAILURE

Lipid profile and postheparin lipolytic activity (PHLA) were investiga ted in 21 patients with acute renal failure (ARF), 24 with chronic ren al failure (CRF), and 23 healthy volunteers. Plasma triglycerides were significantly elevated in ARF (155.19 +/- 72.39 mg/dL) as well as CRF (166.79 +/- 72.36 mg/dL), as compared to controls (89.91 +/- 23.41 mg /dL, p < .001). PHLA was determined at 5, 10, 30, and 60 min after int ravenous heparin (100 U/kg) and was observed to be reduced in ARF (7.8 2 +/- 1.41 mu mol FFA/mL/h) as well as CRF (8.44 +/- 1.68 mu mol FFA/m L/h) at 10 min, as compared to the values in the control subjects (12. 03 +/- 2.43 mu mol FFA/mL/h, p < .01). No correlation was found betwee n PHLA and plasma triglycerides in ARF or CRF. In 15 patients in each group, PHLA subfractions, hepatic triglyceride lipase (HTGL), and lipo protein lipase (LPL) were determined at similar time intervals after h epa;in. Both fractions were found to be reduced significantly (p < .01 ) in ARF as well as in CRF versus controls. These findings indicate th at the lipid alterations in acute and chronic renal failure share comm on features including hypertriglyceridemia and reduced PHLA and its su bfractions HTGL and LPL.