[Analysis of the distribution of HDL-cholesterol and (VLDL + LDL)-cholesterol in hepatic and intestinal disorders]

Abstract

Total cholesterol (Ch-T), HDL cholesterol (Ch-HDL) and (VLDL + HDL) cholesterol (Ch-(VLDL + LDL) were evaluated in 78 cases of various hepatodigestive diseases (11 icterus, 14 hepatitis, 30 chronic alcoholisms, 8 Crohn's diseases and 15 haemorragic rectocolitis (RCH], and in 76 control subjects. High cholesterol levels were found in icterus, but its distribution between lipoproteic fractions remained unchanged. In the group of hepatitis, a deficit in Ch-(VLDL + LDL) was elicited by a significant decrease of Ch-(VLDL + LDL)/Ch-T ratio. The same was observed in chronic alcoholism. In Crohn's disease the levels of every cholesterol fraction were low, while in RCH they were not significantly different from those of the control group. But, in RCH, the Ch-HDL/Ch-T ratios showed significant low values with concommitant higher values of Ch-(VLDL + LDL)/Ch-HDL ratios, suggesting that, in RCH, the metabolism of cholesterol is unbalanced with a deficit of Ch-HDL. In conclusion, the evaluation of cholesterol in lipoproteic fractions by a simple assay may contribute to specify the diagnostic of these disorders.