Forty year follow-up of three patients with complete absence of apolipoprotein B-containing lipoproteins.

• Patients with no apo B-containing lipoproteins can develop severe complications. • We have followed three such patients for >40 years. • All three patients are clinically and particularly neurologically stable. • A liver biopsy in one patient showed minimal pathology. • Adhering to high dose fat soluble vitamins was associated with favorable outcomes. Complete deficiency of apolipoprotein (apo) B-containing lipoproteins can result from both abetalipoproteinemia (ABL) and homozygous hypobetalipoproteinemia (HoHBL), caused by bi-allelic loss-of-function variants in the MTTP and APOB genes encoding microsomal triglyceride transfer protein and apolipoprotein (apo) B, respectively. Both conditions are associated with failure to assemble and secrete apo B-containing lipoproteins from intestine and liver, resulting in absence of chylomicrons, very low-density lipoproteins and remnants, and low-density lipoproteins. Because absorption and transport of fat soluble vitamins requires intact production of apo B-containing lipoproteins, untreated patients develop fat soluble vitamin deficiencies, with associated clinical features including atypical retinitis pigmentosa, osteopenia, neuromyopathy and coagulopathy. Other features include acanthocytosis on the peripheral blood film, fat malabsorption and hepatosteatosis. We describe two patients with ABL and one with HoHBL who have each been on high dose oral fat soluble vitamin replacement under the care of the same physician for more than four decades. Each patient has remained clinically stable. A recent liver biopsy from an ABL patient showed mild macrovesicular steatosis, patchy microvesicular steatosis and mild fibrosis. These observations add to our understanding of the long term trajectory of ABL and HoHBL, and emphasize the importance of compliance to treatment and follow up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]