LIPOPROTEIN ALTERATIONS IN PATIENTS WITH HIV-INFECTION - RELATION WITH CELLULAR AND HUMORAL IMMUNE MARKERS

In order to determine lipid abnormalities in serum in HIV-infected pat ients and their relation with humoral and cellular immunological chang es. Ninety HIV-infected patients without acute inflammatory or maligna nt disease have been studied. Thirty healthy HIV-negative subjects con stituted the control group. As compared with controls, patients with C D4 + lymphocytes > 400 x 10(6)/l had higher triglycerides and lower hi gh density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol and apolipoprotein (apo)-Al. Lipoprotein comparison by groups of patients according to CD4 + cell c ounts showed a decrease of HDL-cholesterol in patients with CD4 + cell s less than or equal to 200 X 10(6)/l.'Nhen CD4 + lymphocyte counts we re < 50 X 10(6)/l, total and very low density lipoprotein (VLDL)trigly cerides and VLDL-cholesterol were increased and HDL and low density li poprotein (LDL)cholesterol and ape-Al were decreased. Interferon (IFN) -alpha, beta 2-microglobulin and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha wer e correlated positively with total and VLDL-triglycerides and negative ly with HDL-cholesterol. Tn conclusion, lipoprotein changes in patient s with HIV-infection are related with humoral and cellular immune mark ers. A decrease of HDL-cholesterol and ape-Al and an increase of trigl yceride levels could be considered as markers of disease progression. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V, All rights reserved.