Serum lipids in pneumonia of different aetiology

The changes in serum triglycerides, cholesterol and high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol were followed in patients with pneumonia caused by different bacteria or viruses as well as in those with no defined aetiology. In the acute phase of the disease there was: 1) a fall in serum triglycerides in patients with bacteremic pneumococcal disease and in patients with no defined aetiology (p less than 0.01 and less than 0.005, respectively). 2) a reduction in cholesterol in all aetiological groups (p less than 0.001) except for those with viral pneumonias, where only 4 patients were studied, and 3) a fall in HDL cholesterol in all the groups (at least at p less than 0.05) except in those with virus infection. 4) In bacteraemic pneumococcal disease the cholesterol level (mean 2.6, SEM 0.3 mmol/l) was lower than that in the other groups (at least at p less than 0.05). In the acute phase there was a tendency to a negative correlation of erythrocyte sedimentation rate and of C-reactive protein with serum cholesterol and/or HDL cholesterol. Changes in serum lipids in various infections deserve further pathophysiological investigation.