title: Reduced fecal sterol excretion in subjects with familial hypoalphalipoproteinemia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Fecal bile acid and neutral sterol excretion are the obligate endpoints of the reverse cholesterol transport pathway (RCT). In studies in mice, no evidence was found for a relation between HDL-cholesterol (HDL-c) levels and fecal sterol excretion. In this study, we have evaluated this relationship in patients with isolated low HDL-c versus controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fecal sterol excretion was studied in 12 subjects with familial hypoalphalipoproteinemia (FHA) and 11 healthy controls. Compared to the controls (8.9+/-6.3mg/kg/day), neutral sterol excretion was significantly lower in the FHA group (4.0+/-2.4mg/kg/day). Fecal bile acid excretion showed a similar pattern. Across the groups, a strong positive correlation between HDL-c and fecal neutral sterol excretion was found (r=0.53; p=0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Isolated low HDL-c levels in humans are associated with reduced fecal sterol excretion suggesting that in humans HDL regulates the final step in the RCT pathway at low HDL-c levels.
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Medicine, Academic Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Karim El
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Harchaoui
authors.forename: Remco
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Franssen
authors.forename: G Kees
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Hovingh
authors.forename: Radjesh J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Bisoendial
authors.forename: Frans
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Stellaard
authors.forename: Folkert
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kuipers
authors.forename: John J P
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Kastelein
authors.forename: Jan Albert
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Kuivenhoven
authors.forename: Erik S G
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Stroes
authors.forename: Albert K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Groen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001647:Bile Acids and Salts / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood*; D015536:Down-Regulation; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D052456:Hypoalphalipoproteinemias / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013261:Sterols / Q000378:metabolism*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D001647:Bile Acids and Salts; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D013261:Sterols