[Nutritional status in HIV infected patients]

Nutritional assessment in HIV infected patients must be a main objective in the treatment of this disease. The main objective of our work was to study the nutritional status with biochemical and anthropometrical parameters in a group of HIV infected patients.

A total of 119 patients were evaluated. In all patients the next parameters were assessed: age, sex, treatment with anti-retroviral drugs, performed an anthropometric evaluation (weight, height, tricipital skinfold, arm circumference, arm muscular circumference and body mass index) and biochemical evaluation (albumin, prealbumin, transferrin, total proteins, triglycerides, cholesterol, lymphocytes and count of CD4).

Patients had an average age 37.9 +/- 9.9 years, weight 64.5 +/- 13.2 kg and body mass index 22.5 +/- 3.5. The values of total proteins, albumin, prealbumin y transferrin were all normal, only patients with AIDS had low levels of transferrin (262.5 +/- 49.2 mg/dl vs 277.8 +/- 87.5; p < 0.05). Percentil distribution of anthropometric parameters showed a deep depletion in muscular protein compartment, 53.1% of patients had skinfold under P 50, 91.8% had arm circumference under P 50, and 91.8% arm muscular circumference under P 50. High levels of triglycerides were detected in 30.5%, these levels are related with the HIV phase and the number of antiretroviral drugs.

Nutritional status in HIV infected patients is good in our population, only a deep depletion in muscular proteic compartment was detected. Transferrin was decreased in AIDS patients. High levels of triglycerides were secondary to the number of antiretroviral drug taking by patients.