In this common disorder, which is associated with an increased incidence of coronary disease, individuals may have elevated levels of VLDL, LDL, or both, and the pattern may change with time. Familial combined hyperlipoproteinemia involves an approximate doubling in VLDL secretion and appears to be transmitted as a dominant trait. Triglycerides can be increased by the factors noted above. Elevations of cholesterol and triglycerides are generally moderate, and xanthomas are absent. Diet alone does not normalize lipid levels. A reductase inhibitor alone, or in combination with niacin or fenofibrate, is usually required to treat these patients. When fenofibrate is combined with a reductase inhibitor, either pravastatin or rosuvastatin is recommended because neither is metabolized via CYP3A4. Marine omega-3 fatty acids may be useful.
In this disorder, remnants of chylomicrons and VLDL accumulate and levels of LDL are decreased. Because remnants are rich in cholesteryl esters, the level of total cholesterol may be as high as that of triglycerides. Diagnosis is confirmed by the absence of the ε3 and ε4 alleles of apo E, the ε2/ε2 genotype. Other apo E isoforms that lack receptor ligand properties can also be associated with this disorder. Patients often develop tuberous or tuberoeruptive xanthomas, or characteristic planar xanthomas of the palmar creases. They tend to be obese, and some have impaired glucose tolerance. These factors, as well as hypothyroidism, can aggravate the lipemia. Coronary and peripheral atherosclerosis occurs with increased frequency. Weight loss, together with decreased fat, cholesterol, and alcohol consumption, may be sufficient, but a fibrate or niacin is usually needed to control the condition. These agents can be given together in more resistant cases. Reductase inhibitors are also effective because they increase hepatic LDL receptors that participate in remnant removal.
This is an autosomal dominant trait. Although levels of LDL tend to increase throughout childhood, the diagnosis can often be made on the basis of elevated umbilical cord blood cholesterol. In most heterozygotes, cholesterol levels range from 260 to 500 mg/dL. Triglycerides are usually normal. Tendon xanthomas are often present. Arcus corneae and xanthelasma may appear in the third decade. Coronary disease tends to occur prematurely. In homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia, which can lead to coronary disease in childhood, levels of cholesterol often exceed 1000 mg/dL and early tuberous and tendinous xanthomas occur. These patients may also develop elevated plaque-like xanthomas of the aortic valve, digital webs, buttocks, and extremities.
Some individuals have combined heterozygosity for alleles producing nonfunctional and kinetically impaired receptors. In heterozygous patients, LDL can be normalized with reductase inhibitors or combined drug regimens (Figure 35–2). Homozygotes and those with combined heterozygosity whose receptors retain even minimal function may partially respond to niacin, ezetimibe, and reductase inhibitors. Emerging therapies for these patients include mipomersen, employing an antisense strategy targeted at apo B-100, and lomitapide, a small molecule inhibitor of microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (MTP), and monoclonal antibodies directed at PCSK9. LDL apheresis is effective in medication-refractory patients.