High density lipoprotein cholesterol in bilharzial hepatic fibrosis

ABSTRACT

High density lipoprotein cholesterol and total serum cholesterol were measured in 25 patients with bilharzial hepatic fibrosis, 16 patients with coronary heart disease as well as 20 healthy control subjects of matched age, sex and weight. Bilharzial patients showed no change in the absolute value of serum HDL-cholesterol, but when the latter was related to the total serum cholesterol which was markedly diminished, the ratio was significantly higher than the control value. On the contrary, CHD patients under investigation presented with significant increase in total serum cholesterol, significant deminution in serum HDL-cholesterol as well as the ratio of serum HDL-cholesterol to total serum cholesterol. The possible mechanisms responsible for these results as well as their role in explaining the low incidence of thrombovascular lesion in bilharzial hepatic fibrosis were discussed