We measured lipid and apolipoprotein concentration in the serum of 11 patients with anorexia nervosa, comparing values with those for age- and sex-matched controls, and found significantly increased serum total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, apolipoprotein A-1 and apolipoprotein B in patients. Serum total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol were correlated with the serum total and direct fractions of bilirubin, but not correlated with the amount of body weight loss, triiodothyronine and thyroxine.
Among 11 patients with anorexia nervosa, serum total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and apolipoprotein B concentrations were higher in those with (n=6) than in those without superior mesenteric artery syndrome or a similar syndrome (n=5).
These results indicate that cholestasis is induced by superior mesenteric artery syndrome in the pathogenesis of hypercholesterolemia in anorexia nervosa.