Lipoprotein-X fifty years after its original discovery

The conversion of cholesterol to bile acids is regulated by several mechanisms including cholesterol 7 alpha hydroxylase, fibroblast growth factor 19, and farnesoid X receptors. During cholestasis these mechanisms are altered and there is an accumulation of bile acids and cholesterol in plasma. The hypercholesterolemia observed in cholestasis is due to the presence of an anomalous lipoprotein called lipoprotein-X (Lp-X).Lp-X is a lipoprotein rich in phospholipid and free cholesterol present in plasma of patients affected by extra- and intra-hepatic cholestasis and, with some variations, in patients with lecithin-cholesterol-acyl-transferase deficiency (LCAT), and after lipid infusion.
Source: Nutrition, Metabolism, and Cardiovascular Diseases : NMCD - Category: Nutrition Authors: Source Type: research