title: Elevated lipoprotein(a) levels in patients with acute myeloblastic leukaemia decrease after successful chemotherapeutic treatment.
abstract: Twenty-two patients with acute myeloblastic leukaemia (AML) were studied to investigate disease-associated changes in lipid metabolism. Lipoprotein (a) [Lp(a)] levels were found to be elevated at the time of diagnosis (median 23 mg/dl; 41% of patient group had levels greater than 25 mg/dl) and diminished after successful chemotherapeutic treatment in 9 of 10 cases, with a maximum decrease from 56 to 10 mg/dl. In contrast, reduced levels of total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein (LDL) and high density lipoprotein (HDL) (medians 137, 87 and 20 mg/dl, respectively) were observed at the time of diagnosis. Cholesterol and HDL levels increased in all 10 and LDL in 9 cases in which complete remission was achieved. These data suggest that the catabolism of LDL-cholesterol might be even more enhanced than assumed to date. Furthermore, it indicates that the Lp(a) level in acute myeloblastic leukaemia is influenced either directly or indirectly by the leukaemic blasts.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Pathologie, Universitätskrankenhaus Eppendorf, Universität Hamburg.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Niendorf
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stang
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Beisiegel
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Peters
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nägele
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gebhardt
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kuse
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy; D017270:Lipoprotein(a) / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D017270:Lipoprotein(a); D002784:Cholesterol