APOLIPOPROTEIN-A AND BIOLOGICAL HALF-LIFE OF PROSTAGLANDIN I-2 IN HIV-1 INFECTION

Disturbances in lipid and lipoprotein metabolism being reported for HI V-1 infection are a common sign of severe infections, Apolipoprotein A being the main constituent protein of HDL has been described to funct ion as the prostaglandinI(2) (PGI(2))-stabilising factor. PGI(2) is no t only one of the most potent biological antiaggregatory substances bu t seems to exert cell-protective properties in the central nervous sys tem, too, PGI(2) half-life as well as lipid [total-cholesterol (total- c), triglycerides] and (apo)lipoprotein [LDL-c, HDL-c and apolipoprote in (ape) AI] levels were investigated in 14 HIV-1 positive patients (1 3 males, 1 female, aged from 29 to 57 yrs.). Patients exhibited decrea sed levels of total-c, LDL-c, HDL-c and apo AI(2) respectively, while elevated triglyceride levels were observed. PGI(2) half-life was short ened (median 53, range. 15 - 161 seconds) in the patients' plasma as c ompared with normal controls ranging from 9-12 minutes. In patients wi th neurological manifestation (n = 8) the decrease of PGI(2) half-life (median: 34 seconds, range: 15 - 67 seconds) was significantly more p ronounced (p < 0.05) than in patients (n = 6) with the absence of any central nervous manifestation (median: 83.5, range: 29 - 161 seconds). The dramatic changes in both HDL-c and apolipoprotein AI as seen duri ng HIV-1 infection are likely to impair PGI(2)-stabilisation thus bein g associated with the presence of peripheral neuropathy, dementia and haemostatic imbalance.