Effect of Statin Therapy in 4-Year-Old Dichorionic Diamniotic Twins with Familial Hypercholesterolemia Showing...

Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is characterized by a high level of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and is inherited as an autosomal dominant trait. We report 4-year-old dichorionic diamniotic twins (boy and girl) with FH who presented with multiple xanthomas on the face, both knees, both feet, and buttocks. Family history revealed vertical transmission of hypercholesterolemia from father to patients, thereby suggesting dominant inheritance. Lipid data of their mother did not match the criteria of FH. However, lipid data of maternal grandmother and maternal sister matched the criteria of FH. LDL receptor gene analysis of the family revealed that their father was heterozygous for a missense mutation, L547V, their mother was heterozygous for a nonsense mutation, C675X, and patients were compound heterozygous for L547V and C675X. After 10 months of treatment with pitavastatin (2 mg/day) and ezetimibe (10 mg/day), LDL-C decreased from 595 mg/dL to 267 mg/dL in the boy and from 530 mg/dL to 182 mg/dL in the girl. These findings suggest that lipid-lowering therapy with statin may be considered in pediatric patients with compound heterozygous FH (hetero FH) before inducing LDL apheresis, and gene analysis for true diagnosis in pediatric patients with multiple xanthomas should be considered, though they appear to be hetero FH from the family history and lipid data of parents.