Journal
JOURNAL OF INTERNAL MEDICINE
Volume 256, Issue 5, Pages 406-412Publisher
WILEY
DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2796.2004.01401.x
Keywords
autosomal recessive hypercholesterolaemia; ezetimibe; familial hypercholesterolaemia; LDL apheresis; LDL cholesterol; statin
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Background. Severe hereditary hypercholesterolaemia is most frequently due to familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH), caused by mutations in the LDL receptor (LDLR) gene. However, a phenotype very similar to FH may also be caused by defects in other genes like the genes for apolipoprotein (apo) B-100 or autosomal recessive hypercholesterolaemia (ARH). Subject. An 8-year-old male of Lebanese origin was diagnosed with severe hypercholesterolaemia and extensive cutaneous and tendon xanthomas. Plasma LDL cholesterol before treatment was 17 mmol L-1, whilst parents and both siblings had normal levels. Diagnosis. Degradation of I-125-labelled LDL in blood lymphocytes was reduced, but not abolished. Sequencing analysis of the LDLR and apoB-100 genes were negative, whilst a splice acceptor mutation in intron 1 (IVS 1-1G>C) was detected in the ARH gene. The patient was homozygous for the mutation, whilst the parents were heterozygous. These findings were in agreement with a diagnosis of ARH. Treatment and clinical course. Monthly LDL apheresis and atorvastatin 120 mg daily reduced LDL cholesterol preapheresis level to 4.8 mmol L-1. When ezetimibe was given 10 mg day(-1) in combination with rosuvastatin 80 mg day(-1), LDL cholesterol was further lowered to 1.6 mmol L-1, which made apheresis unnecessary. Cutaneous and tendon xanthomas disappeared completely and the intima-media thickness of the common carotid arteries decreased. At age 23 he developed a small myocardial infarction. Conclusion. ARH should be considered in cases of severe hypercholesterolaemia with a pattern of recessive inheritance. Combination therapy with high-dose statin and ezetimibe seems to be the treatment of choice in ARH and may reduce or eliminate the need for LDL apheresis treatment.
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