Lipoprotein concentrations and activities of lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and hepatic lipase (HL) were measured in 70 subjects with thyroid function ranging from overt hypothyroidism over subclinical hypothyroidism and euthyroidism to hyperthyroidism. In parallel with serum T3 (S-T3) concentrations increasing from low in hypothyroidism to high in hyperthyroidism there were gradually higher HL activities over the full spectrum of thyroid function, accompanied by decreasing levels of total and low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. High density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol was lower (P less than 0.05) in hyperthyroidism than in euthyroidism but not significantly changed in the hypothyroid groups. HL was correlated to S-T3 (r = 0.77, P less than 0.001), LDL cholesterol to log S-T3 (r = -0.76, P less than 0.001), and LDL cholesterol to log HL (r = -0.55, P less than 0.001). The activity of LPL was decreased (P less than 0.001) in overt hypothyroidism compared to euthyroidism but, in contrast to HL, the activity of LPL was not increased in hyperthyroidism. The plasma triglyceride (P-TG) concentration was elevated (P less than 0.01) in overt hypothyroidism but not significantly changed in subclinical hypothyroidism or in hyperthyroidism. The LPL activity was correlated to log S-T3 (r = 0.45, P less than 0.001), P-TG to log S-T3 (r = -0.37, P less than 0.01) and P-TG to log LPL activity (r = -0.71, P less than 0.001). Our results demonstrate that thyroid hormones influence HL and LPL activities in different ways, suggesting different mechanisms of action. Changes in HL activity seem to be an important mechanism for the disturbance of cholesterol metabolism in thyroid dysfunction while the thyroid hormone influence on LPL seems to be of importance mainly for the disturbance in triglyceride metabolism.