The absence of secondary causes of severe hypertriglyceridemia (like e.g. diabetes, alcohol, estrogen-, glucocorticoid-, antidepressant- or isotretinoin-therapy, certain antihypertensive agents, and paraproteinemic disorders) increases the possibility of LPL deficiency. In this instance besides LPL also other loss-of-function mutations in genes that regulate catabolism of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins (like e.g. ApoC2, ApoA5, LMF-1, GPIHBP-1 and GPD1) should also be consideredThe diagnosis of familial lipoprotein lipase deficiency is finally confirmed by detection of either homozygous or compound heterozygous pathogenic gene variants in LPL with either low or absent lipoprotein lipase enzyme activity.Lipid measurements
·        Milky, lipemic plasma revealing severe hyperchylomicronemia;·        Severely elevated fasting plasma triglycerides (>2000 mg/dL);LPL enzyme
·        Low or absent LPL activity in post-heparin plasma;·        LPL mass level reduced or absent in post-heparin plasma;Molecular genetic testing
The LPL gene is located on the short (p) arm of chromosome 8 at position 22. More than 220 mutations in the LPL gene have been found to cause familial lipoprotein lipase deficiency so far. Treatment
Treatment of LPLD has two different objectives: immediate prevention of pancreatitis attacks and long-term reduction of cardiovascular disease risk. Treatment is mainly based on medical nutrition therapy to maintain plasma triglyceride concentration below 11,3 mmol/L (1000 mg/dL). Maintenance of triglyceride levels below 22,6 mmol/L (2000 mg/dL) prevents in general from recurrent abdominal pain.
A total of 31 patients were treated with Glybera, most for free in clinical trials before the drug was taken off the market. Incidence
The disorder affects about 1 out of 1,000,000 people; however, epidemiological data are limited and there are regional differences due to cofounder effect (e.g. in Canada) or intermarriage. See also
Primary hyperlipoproteinemia
Familial apoprotein CII deficiency
List of cutaneous conditions

References
Further reading
Gaudet, D; de Wal, J; Tremblay, K; Déry, S; van Deventer, S; Freidig, A; Brisson, D; Méthot, J (June 2010). "Review of the clinical development of alipogene tiparvovec gene therapy for lipoprotein lipase deficiency". Atherosclerosis. Supplements. 11 (1): 55–60. doi:10.1016/j.atherosclerosissup.2010.03.004. PMID 20427244. "LPL gene". NIH Genetics Home Reference. February 2015. Hegele, RA;  et al. (August 2014). "The polygenic nature of hypertriglyceridaemia: implications for definition, diagnosis, and management". The Lancet. Diabetes & Endocrinology. 2 (8): 655–66. doi:10.1016/S2213-8587(13)70191-8. PMC 4201123. PMID 24731657. == External links ==