Plasma lipoproteins in patients with chronic renal failure (CRF)

The clinical picture in chronic renal failure (CRF) shows great variability depending on age, sex, aetiology of disease, grades of renal injury and type of treatment. Significant increases of triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-chol) and and apo B concentrations, significant decreases of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-chol) levels and apo A and apo AI concentrations, and no significant changes in total cholesterol (TC) have been shown in CRF patients. Significant increases of TC/HDL-chol, LDL-chol/HDL-chol, apo B/apo AI and apo B/LDL-chol ratios were also demonstrated. That indicates a high risk of atherosclerosis even when total cholesterol levels are in the normal range. There were highly significant and positive correlations between TC/HDL-chol and LDL-chol/HDL-chol ratios, apo B and LDL-chol concentrations as well as between the apo B/apo AI and LDL-chol/HDL-chol ratios.