[Validation of methods for estimating HIV/AIDS patients' body fat].
OBJECTIVE
To validate different methods for estimating HIV/Aids patients' body fat: total body skinfold thickness, central (trunk) skinfold thickness, peripheral (limb) skinfold thickness, waist circumference (WC) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR). Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) and computed tomography of the abdomen (CTA) were used as the gold standard.


METHODS
An analysis was done on 15 adult HIV/Aids patients (10 men and 5 women) who were being treated at an Aids clinic at a public university hospital, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Their total subcutaneous fat (TSF) was estimated from the sum of the thicknesses of the biceps, triceps, subscapular, midaxillary, suprailiac, abdominal and medial calf skinfolds. The central subcutaneous fat (CSF) was estimated by summing the subscapular, axillary, suprailiac and abdominal skinfold measurements. The peripheral subcutaneous fat (PSF) was estimated by summing the biceps, triceps and medial calf skinfold measurements. These were compared with Dexa. The WC, WHR and CSF were compared with CTA. In the statistical analysis, the Pearson correlation coefficient (r) and Mann-Whitney test were utilized.


RESULTS
There was a correlation between fat mass measured by DEXA and by TSF, CSF and PSF, even after adjusting for age (r> or =0.80 for all). WC, WHR and CSF presented correlation with total abdominal fat measured by CTA, even after adjusting for age (r> or =0.80 for all).


CONCLUSIONS
The methods for estimating body fat should be chosen according to the type of fat to be evaluated and can be used in research and healthcare services instead of DEXA and CTA for HIV/AIDS patients.
Florindo
Alex Antonio
AA
Departamento de Epidemiologia, Faculdade de Saúde Pública, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. aflorind@usp.br
Latorre
Maria do Rosario Dias de Oliveira
Mdo R
Santos
Elisabete Cristina Morandi dos
EC
Borelli
Aurélio
A
Rocha
Manoel de Souza
Mde S
Segurado
Aluisio Augusto Cotrim
AA
D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome; D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D000328:Adult; D001823:Body Composition; D001824:Body Constitution; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011860:Radiography, Abdominal / Q000379:methods*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed