Role of LCAT and Apo A-I in Newly Diagnosed HIV Patients

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is a growing concern for health workers. The two major components of dyslipidemia in HIV infected patients are hypertriglyceridemia and decreased levels of high density lipoprotein (HDL) which contribute to increased atherosclerotic risk. The study included 150 newly diagnosed HIV patients and 150 healthy controls. In all these cases Lecithin cholesterol acyl transferase (LCAT) activity was assessed by measuring the difference between esterified and free cholesterol by digitonin precipitation method and levels of Apolipoprotein A-I (apo A-I) were measured by immunoturbidimetric method. There was a significantly decreased LCAT activity (p < 0.05) as well as reduced levels of apo A-I (p < 0.05) in newly diagnosed HIV patients (54.98 ± 3.44 IU/L and 131.85 ± 8.49 mg/dl) when compared with healthy controls (88.17 ± 14.36 IU/L and 187.05 ± 35.25 mg/dL). A significant positive correlation (r = 0.7406) was found between LCAT activity and apo A-I levels. In conclusion decreased LCAT activity and decreased levels of apo A-I reduce the reverse cholesterol transport in newly diagnosed HIV patients which may lead to atherosclerosis in the future.