A study of clinical significance of Lp[a] lipoprotein in patients with chronic renal failure treated by hemodialysis

• Published in: The Japanese Journal of Nephrology Vol. 32; no. 6; pp. 667 - 671
• Main Authors: TAKEGOSHI, TADAYOSHI, YAMAZAKI, YOSHIKIYO, KITOH, CHIKASHI
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: Japanese Society of Nephrology 1990
• Subjects: hemodialysis; Lp[a] lipoprotein; mid-band; polyacrylamide disc electrophoresis
• ISSN: 0385-2385; 1884-0728
• DOI: 10.14842/jpnjnephrol1959.32.667

Lipoprotein[a] (Lp[a]) is known to show high values in patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD). In the present study attempts were made to determine Lp[a] levels and to investigate the association of Lp[a] and other atherosclerotic risk factors in patients with chronic renal failure treated by hemodialysis. Lp[a] concentrations were measured in 30 hemodialysis patients in the age range 34 to 77 years. Mean(±SD) levels of serum Lp[a] were not elevated in the hemodialysis patients compared to controls (19.3±18.0 mg/dl vs. 18.3±10.4 mg/dl, respectively). We found no statistically significant correlation of Lp[a] with either cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL-C or apoproteins. However, com-pared with controls, more than fivefold as many of those hemodialysis patients had high risk (>30 mg/dl) concentrations of Lp[a]. Lp[a] tended to increase in hemodialysis patients with diabetes mellitus and/or ischemic heart disease. In patients with high levels of Lp[a] (>30 mg/dl), Lp[a] tended to correlate positively with cholesterol, LDL-, HDL-C, apo B or apo B/AI. Incidence of IHD was also elevated in these patients. Along with other known risk factors such as hyperlipidemia and hypertension, an increased concentration of Lp[a] may play an important role in accelerating development of atherosclerosis in this condition.