Related Experiment Videos
Hypertriglyceridemia in the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome
C Grunfeld1, D P Kotler, R Hamadeh
1Metabolism Section, Veterans Administration Medical Center, San Francisco, California 94121.
The American Journal of Medicine
|January 1, 1989
Summary
Hypertriglyceridemia, a condition of high triglyceride levels, is common in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and is not linked to body wasting. This finding is important for understanding metabolic changes in AIDS patients.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Immunology
- Metabolic Disorders
Background:
- Cytokine-induced hypertriglyceridemia is linked to cachexia in chronic infections.
- Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is characterized by progressive tissue wasting.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate serum lipid levels and body cell mass in patients with AIDS.
- To explore the relationship between hypertriglyceridemia and body wasting in AIDS.
Main Methods:
- Measured serum lipid levels and body cell mass in 32 AIDS patients, 8 HIV-positive subjects, and 17 controls.
- Assessed body cell mass using total body potassium adjusted for height and age (KHT).
Main Results:
- Significantly increased triglyceride concentrations and hypertriglyceridemia prevalence (50%) in AIDS patients compared to controls.
- No differences in cholesterol levels among groups.
- 16 of 32 AIDS patients showed significant body cell mass depletion; none in HIV-positive or control groups.
- Hypertriglyceridemia was independent of body wasting in AIDS patients.
Conclusions:
- Hypertriglyceridemia is a frequent finding in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).
- The presence of hypertriglyceridemia in AIDS is not dependent on the degree of body wasting.