Changes in plasma high density lipoproteins in chronic male alcoholics during and after abuse.

Alterations in plasma high density lipoproteins (HDL) were studied in thirty-eight male chronic alcoholics. Twenty-four (63%) of the patients had increased HDL protein (measured immunochemically) and twenty-five (66%) had increased HDL cholesterol (determined after polyanion precipitation of very low density lipoproteins (VLDL) and low density lipoproteins (LDL)). A statistically significant correlation was found between HDL protein and HDL cholesterol (r = 0.39). gamma-Glutamyltransferase (GT) was elevated in eighteen (47%) of the alcoholics. No significant correlations were found between GT and HDL protein or HDL cholesterol. The increase in HDL, as studied by rate zonal ultracentrifugation, was heterogeneous with changes in the HDL2 as well as HDL3 subfractions. It is suggested that determination of HDL total cholesterol, in combination with GT, may represent a valuable and sensitive test for detection of alcoholism.