Hypobetalipoproteinemia (HBL) is defined as permanently low levels, below the 5th percentile of sex- and age-matched individuals in the population, of apolipoprotein B (apoB), total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol; the lipid profile in FHBL2 includes low HDL cholesterol as well. HBL can result from environmental factors such as a strict vegetarian diet, or can be secondary to certain diseases such as intestinal fat malabsorption, chronic pancreatitis, severe liver disease, malnutrition, or hyperthyroidism. Heritable primary causes of HBL include chylomicron retention disease (CMRD; 246700), abetalipoproteinemia (200100), and familial hypobetalipoproteinemia (FHBL) (summary by Martin-Campos et al., 2012).
For a discussion of genetic heterogeneity of familial hypobetalipoproteinemia, see FHBL1 (615558). [from
OMIM]