Lipoprotein lipase during heparin infusion: lower activity in hemodialysis patients

[corrected] Patients on hemodialysis often have a moderate hypertriglyceridemia in combination with low HDL cholesterol. A contributing factor may be a derangement of the lipoprotein lipase (LPL) system. During dialysis, with heparin as anticoagulant, the enzyme is released into the circulating blood.

We have followed LPL activity and triglycerides during ordinary heparin administration in nine hemodialysis patients and controls matched for age and gender. Blood samples were drawn before heparin administration and at 15, 30, 60, 120, 180 and 240 min.

LPL activity peaked at 15 or 30 min and then decreased to a plateau that was only 20%, of the peak. The activity was reduced in the patients by about 50% during the peak, and about 20% during the following plateau. During the peak of lipase activity the triglycerides decreased in both groups, but the change was less pronounced in patients, as was expected from the lower circulating lipase activity. During the plateau phase with low lipase activity, the triglycerides increased towards baseline values.

During hemodialysis with heparin, there is a peak in LPL activity as well as a reduction in triglycerides during the first hour. Thereafter LPL activity decreases towards a plateau, while triglycerides increase towards baseline. The peak activity of LPL in the patients was only half that in controls, while the plateau was comparable. The data indicate that during and following each dialysis there is a period when LPL activity becomes depleted to a level that is limiting for normal lipoprotein metabolism.