title: Comparison of lovastatin and probucol in treatment of familial and non-familial hypercholesterolemia: different effects on lipoprotein profiles.
abstract: In order to compare the effects of lovastatin and probucol on lipoprotein profiles, we treated 32 familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) heterozygotes and 26 patients with non-familial hypercholesterolemia for 14 weeks with either probucol (1 g/d) or lovastatin (40-80 mg/d) in a randomized double-blind study. Lovastatin at 80 mg/d reduced low density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol and apo B by more than 40% in both familial and non-familial hypercholesterolemia (non-FH). Probucol reduced LDL-cholesterol by 10-17% while LDL-apo B levels were not influenced at all (FH) or fell by 13% (non-FH). Analysis of LDL composition demonstrated that the LDL-cholesterol lowering effect of probucol in FH was entirely due to reduction in the proportion of cholesterol in LDL with no reduction in LDL mass. Serum high density lipoprotein2 (HDL2)-cholesterol levels fell by 27-33% during probucol, whereas HDL2-cholesterol increased by 10-18% with lovastatin 80 mg/d. These changes in HDL2 were not mediated by lipoprotein lipase or hepatic lipase, both of which are known to participate in regulation of this lipoprotein.
authors.affiliation: Third Department of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Helve
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Tikkanen
mesh_terms: D001053:Apolipoproteins / Q000097:blood; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D006580:Genetic Carrier Screening; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006938:Hyperlipoproteinemia Type II / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics; D008049:Lipase / Q000097:blood; D008071:Lipoprotein Lipase / Q000097:blood; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000097:blood*; D008148:Lovastatin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010636:Phenols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011341:Probucol / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011897:Random Allocation
chemical_list: D001053:Apolipoproteins; D008074:Lipoproteins; D010636:Phenols; D008148:Lovastatin; D008049:Lipase; D008071:Lipoprotein Lipase; D011341:Probucol