The longitudinal triglyceride phenotype in heterozygotes with LPL pathogenic variants

Biallelic pathogenic variants in lipoprotein lipase (LPL) cause familial chylomicronemia syndrome with severe hypertriglyceridemia (HTG), defined as plasma triglycerides (TG) > 10 mmol/L (> 885 mg/dL). TG levels in individuals with one copy of a pathogenic LPL gene variant is less familiar; some assume that the phenotype is intermediate between homozygotes and controls.

We undertook an evaluation of the longitudinal TG phenotype of individuals heterozygous for pathogenic LPL variants.

Medically stable outpatients were evaluated based on having: (1) a single copy of a rare pathogenic LPL variant; and (2) serial fasting TG measurements obtained over > 1.5 years of follow-up.

Fifteen patients with a single pathogenic LPL variant were followed for a mean of 10.3 years (range 1.5 to 30.3 years). TG levels varied widely both within and between patients. One patient had normal TG levels < 2.0 mmol/L (< 175 mg/dL) continuously, while four patients had at least one normal TG level. Most patients fluctuated between mild-to-moderate and severe HTG: five patients had only mild-to-moderate HTG, with TG levels ranging from 2.0 to 9.9 mmol/L (175 to 885 mg/dL), while 6 patients had at least one instance of severe HTG. Of the 203 total TG measurements from these patients, 14.8%, 67.0% and 18.2% were in the normal, mild-to-moderate and severe HTG ranges, respectively.

The heterozygous LPL deficient phenotype is highly variable both within and between patients. Heterozygosity confers susceptibility to a wide range of TG phenotypes, with severity likely depending on secondary factors.