Artifactual measurement of low serum HDL-cholesterol due to paraproteinemia

High levels of serum low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and low levels of high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) are well-known risk factors for premature atherosclerotic vascular disease [1, 2]. They are targets for primary and secondary prevention. Interpreting lipid profiles is part of the daily routine for a cardiologist. The most common cause of low HDL-C in western society is metabolic syndrome. More rare are primary lipid disorders (e.g., Tangier syndrome due to an ABCA transporter deficiency or deficiency of apolipoprotein A1) and secondary causes like (ab)use of androgens (Table 1). Extremely low serum HDL levels are associated with an increased risk of death, sepsis and malignancy [3]. A rare but important cause is interference in the biochemical assay by paraproteins, yielding an artifactually low HDL-C measurement result. We present the case of a patient who had his lipid profile repeatedly tested over the course of 4 years and had progressive decline in HDL-C measurements.