[Free and esterified cholesterol of the skin in atherogenic hyperlipidemias]

Skin free and esterified cholesterol were assayed using gaseous chromatography following plaque histochromatography separation in 20 control, 36 patients with Type II a hyperlipoproteinemia, 27 with Type II b hyperlipoproteinemia and 19 with Type IV hyperlipoproteinemia. Skin esterified cholesterol was higher in females with Type II a hyperlipoproteinemia without or with xanthomatosis. But the skin esterified cholesterol level was not correlated with skin free cholesterol nor with blood total cholesterol levels, while in males these parameters were well correlated. On the other hand skin cholesterol was assayed in 15 patients with Type II hypercholesterolemia before and after a 6-month treatment with Probucol: there was 10p. 100 reduction of cholesterol level, and a weak decrease in skin free-cholesterol; in contrast, skin esterified cholesterol increased significantly as well as the skin esterified cholesterol/skin total cholesterol ratio (EC/TC). These data suggest a connection between weak vascular risk and skin esterified cholesterol high level (or high EC/TC in skin).