[Lipid metabolism after operation for esophageal cancer]

In order to clarify the abnormal lipid metabolism after resection of esophageal cancer, we measured serum cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, triglyceride phospholipid, free fatty acid, lipoprotein and apoprotein in 38 patients with esophageal cancer before and up to 4 weeks after operation. Patients were divided into three groups; group A consisted of 26 patients whose postoperative course was uneventful, group B, 12 patients who suffered from post-operative complications and group C, 15 control patients who underwent gastrectomy for cancer of the stomach. The conclusions were; 1) After operation, remarkable decrease was observed in many lipids and proteins which were synthesized mainly in the liver. This was more prominent in groups A and B than in group C. There was no difference between group A and B up to 2 weeks, however, after that recovery was slow in group B. 2) This decrease in serum lipids and proteins may be explained by the postoperative liver dysfunction which mimics acute hepatitis, and by abnormal increase in their consumption. 3) In group B, preoperative serum cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and albumin had been significantly lower than those in group A, and cholinesterase, apoAI and apoAII had also tended to be lower.