Metabolic syndrome and serum fatty acid patterns in serum phospholipids in hypertriglyceridemic persons with human immunodeficiency virus.
BACKGROUND
HIV infection and its treatment are associated with abnormal lipid profiles. High triglyceride concentrations and low HDL-cholesterol concentrations are the most common health abnormalities and raise concerns about an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.


OBJECTIVE
We compared the fatty acid patterns of serum phospholipids between persons with HIV and non-HIV controls to determine whether there are differences that explain the elevated triglyceride concentrations, insulin resistance, and inflammation that are part of the metabolic syndrome in patients with HIV.


METHODS
Thirty-nine persons with HIV and elevated serum triglycerides (>150 mg/dL) and/or indicators of insulin resistance were recruited to examine fatty acid profiles in serum phospholipid fractions relative to those of 2 control groups without HIV (n = 31).


RESULTS
Higher concentrations of 16:1 and 18:0 fatty acids in the phospholipid fraction indicated increased lipogenesis in the HIV patients and in the non-HIV controls at risk of the metabolic syndrome. However, the subjects with HIV had higher concentrations of both n-6 (omega-6) and n-3 fatty acids of higher elongation and desaturation levels, which indicated a greater promotion of these pathways in this population. The nanomolar percentage (%nmol) arachidonic acid was the same in all 3 groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Persons with and without HIV, at risk of the metabolic syndrome, show indications of increased lipogenesis, more so in subjects with HIV taking medication. Higher proportions of distal elongation and desaturation fatty acid products were seen only in the phospholipids fatty acid fraction of the subjects with HIV.
Woods
Margo N
MN
Department of Public Health and Family Medicine, Nutrition/Infection Unit, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02111, USA. margo.woods@tufts.edu
Wanke
Christine A
CA
Ling
Pei-Ra
PR
Hendricks
Kristy M
KM
Tang
Alice M
AM
Andersson
Charlotte E
CE
Dong
Kimberly R
KR
Sheehan
Heidi M B
HM
Bistrian
Bruce R
BR
D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D015228:Hypertriglyceridemia / Q000097:blood*; D008060:Lipodystrophy / Q000097:blood / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000737:chemistry*; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D005227:Fatty Acids; D010743:Phospholipids; D014280:Triglycerides