Figure 5. Summary of the pathological relationships between eruptive xanthoma, hypertriglyceridemia, and atherosclerosis
Obesity and diabetes mellitus have potentials to increase serum remnant lipoproteins, namely TG-rich lipoproteins, and lead to the hypertriglyceridemia. Marked increase in the levels of serum TG-rich remnant lipoproteins infiltrate into the subcutaneous tissue and would be taken up by migrated macrophages, which turn into lipid-filled foam cells. The accumulation of these foam cells increases the risks of developing eruptive xanthomas in the subcutaneous tissue or atherosclerosis in the vessels.
Abbreviations: ANGPLT3: angiopoietin-like protein 3, FFA: free fatty acid, IL-1β: interleukin-1β, IL-6: interleukin-6, LPL: lipoprotein lipase, TG: triglyceride, TNF-α: tumor necrosing factor-α, VLDL: very low-density lipoprotein.