title: Abnormalities in plasma fatty acid composition in human immunodeficiency virus-infected children treated with protease inhibitors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study plasma fatty acid composition in human immunodeficiency virus-infected children treated with protease inhibitors and its relation with other components of the metabolic syndrome observed after this therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study from collected clinical database.
  
  
  METHODS
  17 children with HIV infection treated with protease inhibitors. Nine patients received ritonavir (20-30 mg/kg/d) and the remaining eight received nelfinavir (60-90 mg/kg/d). Duration of protease inhibitors treatment was 711+/-208 d. As controls, we used 112 matched blood samples from apparently healthy children admitted for minor surgical procedures.
  
  
  METHODS
  Plasma fatty acids were determined using a Hewlett Packard GC 5890 gas chromatograph.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Plasma levels of cholesterol and triglycerides and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) tended to be high in protease inhibitor-treated patients. Plasma content of omega6 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids and, in particular, of the highly unsaturated 22ratio4omega6 and 22ratio5omega6, was significantly increased. Also, infected children had increased Delta6 and Delta4 desaturase activities and decreased Delta5 desaturase activity. Significant correlations were present between plasma IGF-1 level and plasma triglycerides, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 activity and Delta6 desaturase activity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HIV-infected, protease inhibitor-treated children exhibit a metabolic syndrome which is associated with significant changes in plasma fatty acid composition. These changes are similar to those observed in situations of insulin resistance and are linked to variations in plasma IGF-1 concentration.
authors.affiliation: Division of Metabolism, Department of Paediatrics, Hospital de Cruces and Basque University School of Medicine, Baracaldo, Basque Country, Spain. kaldamiz@hcru.osakidetza.net
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Aldámiz-Echevarría
authors.forename: Itziar
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Pocheville
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sanjurjo
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Elorz
authors.forename: Jose Angel
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Prieto
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Soriano
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000097:blood*; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017320:HIV Protease Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D019888:Nelfinavir / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019438:Ritonavir / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D017320:HIV Protease Inhibitors; D014280:Triglycerides; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; D002784:Cholesterol; D019888:Nelfinavir; D019438:Ritonavir