Pathology of Lipid Metabolism

Most commonly, the lipid metabolism pathology is manifest as hyperlipemia (elevated concentration of lipids in blood) and tissue lipidoses (excessive lipid de-position in tissues). Normally, the lipid contents in the blood plasma are total lipids, 4-8 g/litre triglycerides, 0.5-2.1 mmol/litre total phospholipids, 2.0-3.5 mmol/litre total cholesterol, 4.0-8.0 mmol/litre (esterified cholesterol accounts for 2/3 of total cholesterol). 

Hyperlipemia may manifest itself by an increased concentration of lipids, or certain groups thereof. For example, hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceri-demia may be mentioned in this connection. Since practically all the blood plasma lipids make part of lipoproteins, hyperlipemias may be reduced to one of the hyper-lipoproteinemia forms which differ in the varied ratios of plasma lipoproteins of different groups. 

Hyperlipoproteinemia, Type /, is characterized by the enhanced content of chylo-microns in the blood plasma simultaneously, the percentage of a- and p-lipopro-teins may be lowered. The triglyceride 

2- fold higher, against the norm, cholesterol concentration. The familial form of hyperlipoproteinemia, Type Ila, is also known, which manifests itself in the occurrence of a defective apoprotein for P-lipoproteins, and in a slower breakdown of these materials in the tissues. 

Hyperlipoproteinemia, Type III, is a rare hereditary disease (also called familial dysbetalipoproteinemia) manifested by the occurrence of an uncommon P-lipo-protein form. Cholesterol and triglyceride contents in the patients may occasion-ally be 2-5 times superior to the norm. 

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