Liver histological changes and plasma high density lipoproteins in man

The relationship between liver histology and plasma high density lipoproteins (HDL) was investigated in 40 patients with diagnostic liver biopsy. The subjects with slight or marked changes in liver histology had low HDL cholesterol and apoprotein (A-I and A-II) levels, low HDL cholesterol/total cholesterol ratios and high triglyceride concentrations as compared with subjects with a normal liver. Plasma HDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol/total cholesterol ratio and apoprotein A-I were directly proportional and triglycerides inversely proportional to the amount of non-fatty parenchyma in the livers. Conventional liver tests were not related to liver histology. The findings indicate that plasma HDL levels reflect alterations in hepatic parenchyma. Quantitative assessments of liver changes may hence be of significance when evaluating plasma HDL levels.