Studies on high density lipoproteins in fish eye disease

Serum high density lipoproteins (HDL) were isolated by preparative ultracentrifugation from two patients with fish eye disease (FED). Compared to HDL from control subjects the HDL particles of FED were characterized by their abnormally small size and a relative enrichment with polar lipids. No qualitative abnormalities of the HDL apolipoproteins were revealed upon polyacrylamide disc gel electrophoresis or isoelectric focusing. The plasma pool of apolipoprotein A was reduced by 90%.