Hypertriglyceridaemia Secondary to Liver Disease

Some patients with liver dysfunction show a marked hypertriglyceridaemia, a phenomenon most frequently accompanied by cholestasis. In this report we have identified, isolated and characterized an abnormally large (300–700 Å), triglyceride rich, low density lipoprotein, (d 1.019‐1.063 g/ml) designated β 2 ‐lipoprotein (β 2 ‐LP), from the plasma of patients with hypertriglyceridaemia secondary to liver disease. The β 2 ‐LP differs significantly in its percent composition and protein moiety from the unique lipoprotein‐X (LP‐X) specific for cholestasis and also from normal β‐lipoproteins, both of which are also present in the patients LDL fraction. Furthermore, some evidence is provided suggesting that the β 2 ‐LP is likely to represent an intermediate particle of chylomicron metabolism, which accumulates in this disease due to a markedly diminished hepatic lipase activity.