Erythrocyte and plasma lipids in liver diseases

Forty-four patients aged between 12 and 64 years comprising 16 hepatitis (group 1); 12 cirrhosis (group 2); 16 primary liver cell carcinoma (group 3) and 18 normal controls were studied. In hepatitis, plasma total cholesterol and total cholesterol/phospholipid ratio were significantly reduced, while the changes in red cell cholesterol and phospholipid and plasma phospholipid were not. The blood glucose was significantly reduced. The plasma total cholesterol/phospholipid ratio was positively correlated with the plasma total bilirubin. In cirrhosis patients, red cell total cholesterol and ratio to phospholipid were significantly increased and the plasma cholesterol reduced with no significant changes in red cell and plasma phospholipids. The plasma total cholesterol/phospholipid ratio was reduced while the corresponding ratio in red cells was increased. Both total cholesterol and the ratio to phospholipid in red cells were negatively correlated with albumin and positively correlated with the plasma total bilirubin. In primary liver cell carcinoma, the plasma and red cholesterol and their ratio in the red cell were significantly increased while the ratio in plasma was not. The serum albumin levels were reduced while the liver enzymes and total bilirubin were raised in all patient groups. Our results suggest a possible relationship between liver function and cholesterol deposition in red cells in liver disease.