Serum lipoprotein lipase mass: clinical significance of its measurement.
Lipoprotein lipase (LPL) is a lipolytic enzyme involved in catalyzing hydrolysis of triglycerides (TG) in chylomicrons and very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) particles. Over the last decade, increasing attention has been paid to the clinical significance of measuring serum LPL protein mass without heparin injection to the study subjects. In earlier studies, this marker was utilized to classify LPL deficient subjects, which is an extremely rare metabolic disorder with a frequency of one in one million. Later, researchers paid more attention to the clinical significance of measuring this parameter in more common metabolic disorders. Studies have shown that pre-heparin plasma or serum LPL mass has significant relationships with serum lipids and lipoproteins, visceral fat area, insulin resistance, and even the development of coronary atherosclerosis in cross-sectional studies, although this might be a metabolic surrogate marker with almost no catalytic activities, which does not appear to be involved in catalyzing hydrolysis of TG in TG-rich lipoproteins. Recently, a prospective study has demonstrated that low serum LPL concentration predicts future coronary events. Taken together, we suggest that pre-heparin LPL mass in plasma or sera provide us with useful and important information on the development of metabolic disorders leading to atherosclerotic disease.
Kobayashi
Junji
J
Department of Lipidology, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Science Takara-machi 13-1, Kanazawa 920-8640, and Department of General Medicine, Kanazawa University Hospital, Japan. junji@med.kanazawa-u.ac.jp
Nohara
Atsushi
A
Kawashiri
Masa-aki
MA
Inazu
Akihiro
A
Koizumi
Junji
J
Nakajima
Katsuyuki
K
Mabuchi
Hiroshi
H
D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D050152:Intra-Abdominal Fat / Q000378:metabolism; D008071:Lipoprotein Lipase / Q000097:blood*; D008075:Lipoproteins, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL / Q000097:blood
D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents; D008075:Lipoproteins, HDL; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL; D008071:Lipoprotein Lipase