Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 14, 2026
Differential Effects of Lipid-lowering Drugs in Modulating Morphology of Cholesterol Particles
Published on: November 10, 2017
High-Density Lipoprotein and Low-Density Lipoprotein Subfractions in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease
Magdalena Rysz-Gorzynska, Anna Gluba-Brzozka, Maciej Banach1
1Department of Hypertension, WAM University Hospital in Lodz, Medical University of Lodz, Zeromskiego 113; 90-549 Lodz, Poland.
Insights
Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) alters high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) subfractions, with larger HDL particles more common in CKD patients. This finding may help identify individuals with increased cardiovascular risk.
Area of Science:
- Nephrology
- Cardiology
- Lipidology
Background:
- Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is a significant independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD).
- Atherosclerosis is a primary driver of high cardiovascular mortality across all stages of CKD.
- Lipoprotein subfractions, specifically high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL), are implicated in CVD prediction for CKD patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate and compare the levels of HDL and LDL subfractions in patients across various stages of CKD.
- To establish potential correlations between CKD progression and alterations in lipoprotein subfraction profiles.
Main Methods:
- Inclusion of 115 CKD patients (stages 2-5, including dialysis) and 25 healthy controls.
- Utilized the Lipoprint System (Quantimetrix®) for precise analysis of HDL and LDL subfractions.
- Comparative analysis of subfraction distribution between CKD patient groups and the control cohort.
Main Results:
- Significant differences observed in HDL subfractions: HDL1-HDL5 were elevated in CKD patients (p≤0.013), while HDL7-HDL10 were more prevalent in controls (p≤0.001).
- LDL subfraction analysis revealed significant variations between CKD stage 5 patients and controls, particularly in IDL-B (p<0.05), IDL-A (p<0.05), and LDL2 (p<0.001).
Conclusions:
- CKD significantly influences HDL and LDL subfraction profiles.
- CKD patients exhibit a higher prevalence of large HDL subpopulations compared to small HDL subfractions found in healthy individuals.
- Identifying elevated large HDL subfractions could aid in pinpointing CKD patients at heightened cardiovascular risk, warranting further large-scale validation studies.
Background:
Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). CKD is accompanied by high cardiovascular mortality due to many factors, but atherosclerosis is thought to be a major cause at every CKD stage. It has been suggested that measuring and estimating changes in high density lipoprotein (HDL) and low density lipoprotein (LDL) subfractions may be important for predicting CVD in CKD patients.
Objective:
The aim of this study was to determine and compare levels of HDL and LDL subfractions in patients with different CKD stages.
Methods:
The study included 115 patients with CKD (CKD stage 2-25 patients, CKD stage 3-25; CKD stage 4-25 and CKD 5 undergoing dialysis - 40 patients) and 25 volunteers without CKD (control group). The Lipoprint System (Quantimetrix®) was used to analyse HDL and LDL subfractions.
Results:
There were significant differences in the distribution of HDL1-HDL5 subfractions levels, which were significantly higher in patients with impaired renal function than in the control group (p≤.0.013 for all comparisons). HDL7-HDL10 subfractions were significantly more prevalent in healthy volunteers compared with CKD patients (p≤.0.001 for all comparisons). The analysis of LDL subfractions revealed significant differences only in IDL-B (p<0.05), IDL-A (p<0.05) and LDL2 (p<0.001) between patients with CKD stage 5 and controls.
Conclusion:
CKD influenced HDL and LDL subfractions. In CKD patients, large HDL subpopulations were more prevalent in contrast to small HDL subfractions in healthy subjects. Identification of patients with increased level of large HDL subfractions could be useful to identify CKD subjects at increased CV risk. Further studies with larger populations and with the application of a several methods of subfraction measurement are necessary to confirm these results.
Related Concept Videos
01:24Chronic Kidney Disease II: Clinical Manifestations
01:28Chronic Kidney Disease III: Interprofessional Care
01:25Chronic Kidney Disease I: Introduction
01:28Drug Dosing in Renal Diseases: Estimation of Glomerular Filtration Rate Based on Serum Creatinine Concentration
01:25Drug Dosing in Renal Diseases: Dose Adjustments Based on Drug Clearance and Elimination Rate Constant
01:17Factors Affecting Renal Clearance: Renal Impairment
One condition associated with renal failure is uremia. Uremia is characterized by impaired glomerular filtration and fluid accumulation in the body. This condition hinders the renal clearance of drugs, resulting in drug accumulation and potential...