Extremely high levels of total cholesterol in serum were observed in two patients with hepato-cellular carcinoma (H. C. C.). The maximum levels of total cholesterol were 876mg/dl in patient 1, and 531mg/dl in patient 2.
We measured the cholesterol levels of each lipoprotein fraction and serum apolipoprotein levels in H. C. C. patients with hypercholesterolemia (patient 1, 2), H. C. C. patients without hypercho-lesterolemia (patient 3-11), and normal controls.
Serum VLDL- and LDL-cholesterol levels in H. C. C. patients with hypercholesterolemia were much higher than those in H. C. C. patients without hypercholesterolemia and normal controls. However, serum HDL2- and HDL3-cholesterol levels in H. C. C. patients were lower than those in normal controls. These results suggest that the increase of total cholesterol in H. C. C. patients is attributed to the increase of VLDL- and LDL-cholesterol.
Serum apolipoprotein B and E levels in H. C. C. patients with hypercholesterolemia were much higher than those in H. C. C. patients without hypercholesterolemia and normal controls. However, serum apolipoprotein A-I and A-II levels in H. C. C. patients were much lower than in normal controls. Serum apolipoprotein C-II and C-III levels in H. C. C. patients with hypercholesterolemia were higher than those in H. C. C. patients without hypercholesterolemia. Apolipoprotein B is protein component of LDL and apolipoprotein B, C, and E are rpotein components of VLDL. These suggest that VLDL and LDL particles increase in H. C. C. patients with hypercholesterolemia.
The biliary obstruction by the tumor was absent in the two H. C. C. patients with hypercholesterolemia. This suggests that the raised serum cholesterol levels are associated with increased synthesis of VLDL and LDL particles.
