title: Nutritional status of patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.
abstract: Nutritional status may be an important factor in the prognosis of morbidity and mortality. We assessed the nutritional status of individuals seropositive for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (as confirmed by Western blot) and of patients with AIDS, by determining the concentration in serum of total protein, albumin, prealbumin (transthyretin), and retinol-binding protein. HIV-seropositive individuals showed no significant difference from normal volunteers in values for prealbumin, albumin, and retinol-binding protein. Patients with AIDS showed significantly smaller prealbumin and albumin concentrations than did normal and HIV-positive individuals. There was no significant difference in the concentration of retinol-binding protein among the three groups. The concentration of total serum protein was significantly greater in HIV-positive individuals and in patients with AIDS than in normal individuals. Thus, the nutritional status of patients with AIDS may be a factor for morbidity and mortality.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Pathology Department, Warren Grant Magnuson Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892.
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ruddel
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Elin
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006679:HIV Seropositivity; D006801:Humans; D009752:Nutritional Status; D011228:Prealbumin / Q000097:blood; D012177:Retinol-Binding Proteins / Q000097:blood; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D011228:Prealbumin; D012177:Retinol-Binding Proteins; D012709:Serum Albumin