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Primary hyperlipidemias in children: effect of plant sterol supplementation on plasma lipids and markers of cholesterol synthesis and absorption

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Abstract

Plant sterols lower serum cholesterol concentration. Available data have confirmed the lipid-lowering efficacy in adults, while there is a relative dearth of data in children and almost exclusively restricted to subjects with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH). Aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy, tolerability and safety of plant sterol supplementation in children with different forms of primary hyperlipidemias. The effect of plant sterol consumption on plasma lipids was evaluated in 32 children with heterozygous FH, 13 children with Familial Combined Hyperlipidemia (FCH) and 13 children with Undefined Hypercholesterolemia (UH) in a 12-week open-label intervention study using plant sterol–enriched yoghurt. Plasma lipids and apolipoproteins were measured by routine methods. Markers of cholesterol synthesis (lathosterol) and absorption (campesterol and sitosterol) were measured by GC–MS. Tolerability and adherence to recommended regimen was very high. A significant reduction was observed in LDL-cholesterol in the three groups (10.7, 14.2 and 16.0% in FH, FCH and UH, respectively). Lathosterol concentrations were unchanged, reflecting a lack of increased synthesis of cholesterol. Of the two absorption markers, only sitosterol showed a slight but significant increase. Daily consumption of plant sterol dairy products favorably changes lipid profile by reducing LDL-cholesterol. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the use of plant sterols–enriched foods in treating children with primary hyperlipidemia such as FCH and UH, likely to be the most frequent form also in the young age in the western populations.

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Acknowledgments

This investigation was partly supported by COFIN_MIUR 2008 and by Turin University funds.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, Turin University, Turin, Italy

    O. Guardamagna, F. Abello & V. Baracco

  2. University Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy

    G. Federici, P. Bertucci, A. Mozzi, L. Mannucci & C. Cortese

  3. Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Magna Græcia University, University Campus “S. Venuta”, 88100, Catanzaro, Italy

    A. Gnasso

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  1. O. Guardamagna
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  2. F. Abello
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  3. V. Baracco
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  4. G. Federici
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  7. L. Mannucci
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  8. A. Gnasso
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  9. C. Cortese
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Correspondence to A. Gnasso.

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Guardamagna, O., Abello, F., Baracco, V. et al. Primary hyperlipidemias in children: effect of plant sterol supplementation on plasma lipids and markers of cholesterol synthesis and absorption. Acta Diabetol 48, 127–133 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00592-010-0233-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00592-010-0233-1

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