title: Body composition of HIV-infected male adults with wasting syndrome.
abstract: Chronic weight loss is a common characteristic of HIV infection; its full etiology remains unknown. We report body composition measurements for 39 adult males with wt loss >= 10% or a body mass index (BMI) below 19.8 kg • m-2 while receiving stable antiretroviral therapy, and no recent history of opportunistic infection, malignancy, Kaposi sarcoma, or therapy with anabolic agents. CD4+ counts ranged from 2 to 531; 30 subjects having counts <= 200. Body composition was measured by 40K counting, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), and anthropometry. The reference body composition measures were total body potassium (TBK), lean tissue mass (LEAN), fat mass (FAT), and percentage body fat (%FAT). In addition, nutritional assessment was based on a 2-d food diary. The mean TBK was 90.2% ± 10.8% of normal controls, while the %FAT averaged only 14.4% ± 5.3%, also below the normal range. Reasonable estimates of these body composition compartments were obtained using a combination of BMI, mid-arm circumference (MAC), and triceps skinfold measurements (TSF).
authors.affiliation: Texas Children 's Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Ellis
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Shypailo
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Pivarnik
authors.forename: B H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Jenks
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Walzel
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Lee