In people with very high cholesterol (e.g., familial hypercholesterolemia), diet is often not sufficient to achieve the desired lowering of LDL, and lipid-lowering medications are usually required. If necessary, other treatments such as LDL apheresis or even surgery (for particularly severe subtypes of familial hypercholesterolemia) are performed. About 34 million adults in the United States have high blood cholesterol. Signs and symptoms
Although hypercholesterolemia itself is asymptomatic, longstanding elevation of serum cholesterol can lead to atherosclerosis (hardening of arteries). Over a period of decades, elevated serum cholesterol contributes to formation of atheromatous plaques in the arteries. This can lead to progressive narrowing of the involved arteries. Alternatively smaller plaques may rupture and cause a clot to form and obstruct blood flow. A sudden blockage of a coronary artery may result in a heart attack. A blockage of an artery supplying the brain can cause a stroke. If the development of the stenosis or occlusion is gradual, blood supply to the tissues and organs slowly diminishes until organ function becomes impaired. At this point tissue ischemia (restriction in blood supply) may manifest as specific symptoms. For example, temporary ischemia of the brain (commonly referred to as a transient ischemic attack) may manifest as temporary loss of vision, dizziness and impairment of balance, difficulty speaking, weakness or numbness or tingling, usually on one side of the body. Insufficient blood supply to the heart may cause chest pain, and ischemia of the eye may manifest as transient visual loss in one eye.
This involves IGL@ and c-myc.Combined, the two less-common translocations, t(2;8)(p12;q24) and t(8;22)(q24;q11), account for the remaining 15% of cases not due to the t(8;14)(q24;q32) translocation.The c-myc gene found on chromosome 8 is part of the Myc family of genes that serve as regulators of cellular transcription and is associated with Burkitt lymphoma. Expression of the c-myc gene results in the synthesis of transcriptional factors that increase the expression of other genes involved in aerobic glycolysis. Ultimately, an increase in aerobic glycolysis plays a role in providing the necessary energy for cellular growth to occur. The translocation of the c-myc gene to the IGH, IGK, or IGL region moves the gene to a location in the genome near immunoglobulin enhancers which increases the expression of the c-myc gene. Overall, this translocation leads to increased cellular proliferation that is found in Burkitt lymphoma. Point mutations can also be present in the translocated c-myc gene resulting in the expressed c-myc protein being overactive. Other mutations found include the TCF transcription factor mutation, which increases cellular proliferation via the increased expression of other genes. Along with mutations that support cell proliferation, Burkitt lymphoma has been found to also harbor mutations in the TP53 gene that is a tumor suppressor and would normally function to limit cellular growth. Virology
The complete role of EBV in the pathogenesis of endemic Burkitt lymphoma is not completely elucidated, but it has been shown to cause DNA damage, dysfunction of telomeres, and genome instability.