Abstract

Background: While alcohol consumption is associated with levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol (HDL-C), a cardiovascular risk marker, HDL size distribution has yet to be characterized in subjects with alcoholic fatty liver disease (AFLD) and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
Methods: The present study compared HDL subfractional characteristics between subjects with AFLD (36 men, age 61 ± 14) and NAFLD (35 men, age 65 ± 13), recruited during general health check-ups. Serum HDL subfractions were measured with the electrophoretic separation of lipoproteins employing the LipoprintTM system.
Results: The subjects with AFLD had a significantly greater proportion of small-sized HDL part (6.6 ± 5.7%) than those with NAFLD (3.8 ± 4.9%, p = 0.029).
Conclusions: More percentages of small-sized HDL part were observed in the subjects with AFLD than in those with NAFLD in Japanese general population. Whether the difference of HDL size is associated with cardiovascular manifestations should be studied further.

DOI: 10.7754/Clin.Lab.2013.130228