title: Hypocholesterolemia.
abstract: Hypocholesterolemia is defined as total cholesterol (TC) and low density cholesterol (LDL-C) levels below the 5(th) percentile of the general population adjusted for age, gender and race. Hypocholesterolemia may be attributed to inherited disorders or several secondary causes. Inherited forms of hypocholesterolemia consist of a group of rare diseases. The best studied are familial hypobetalipoproteinemia (FHBL) and abetalipoproteinemia (ABL). Clinical diagnosis rests on lipid levels and the pattern of inheritance after secondary causes are excluded. Patients with primary hypobetalipoproteinemias may manifest a variety of symptoms and signs affecting several organs (steatorrhea, neurological and ophalmological symptoms, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease) or be asymptomatic. Understanding hypocholesterolemia and the underlying molecular basis is of crucial importance since this may provide new insights in the treatment of hypercholesterolemia and cardiovascular disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Medical School, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece. egepi@cc.uoi.gr
authors.forename: Elisavet
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Moutzouri
authors.forename: Moses
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Elisaf
authors.forename: Evangelos N
authors.initials: EN
authors.lastname: Liberopoulos
mesh_terms: D050171:Dyslipidemias / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D052476:Hypobetalipoproteinemia, Familial, Apolipoprotein B / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D006995:Hypobetalipoproteinemias / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D000071449:Proprotein Convertase 9; D043484:Proprotein Convertases; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C472125:PCSK9 protein, human; D000071449:Proprotein Convertase 9; D043484:Proprotein Convertases; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases