INTRODUCTION: Converging evidence highlights that lipid metabolism plays a key 
role in ALS pathophysiology. Dyslipidemia has been described in ALS patients and 
may be protective but peripheral lipoprotein subclasses have never been studied.
MATERIAL AND METHODS: We collected sera from 30 ALS patients and 30 gender and 
age-matched controls. We analyzed 11 distinct lipoprotein subclasses by linear 
polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (Lipoprint, Quantimetrix Corporation, USA). 
We also measured lipoprotein (a), apolipoprotein B, and apolipoprotein E levels.
RESULTS: ALS patients had significant higher total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, 
and LDL-cholesterol levels than controls (p<0.0001, p=0.0007, and p=0.0065, 
respectively). The LDL-1 subfraction concentration was higher (1.03±0.41 vs. 
0.71±0.28mmol/L; p=0.0006) and the IDL-B subfraction lower (6.5±2% vs. 8.0±2%; 
p=0.001) in ALS patients than controls.
DISCUSSION: Our preliminary work confirmed the association between ALS and 
dyslipidemia. The low IDL-B levels may explain the hepatic steatosis frequently 
reported in ALS. The high levels of the cholesterol-rich LDL-1 subfraction is 
consistent with previously reported hypercholesterolemia.
CONCLUSION: This study describes, for the first time, the distribution of serum 
lipoproteins in ALS patients, with low IDL-B and high LDL-1 subfraction level.