Document 0750
 DOCN  M9490750
 TI    Serum carotene deficiency in HIV-infected patients. Berlin
       Diarrhoea/Wasting Syndrome Study Group.
 DT    9411
 AU    Ullrich R; Schneider T; Heise W; Schmidt W; Averdunk R; Riecken EO;
       Zeitz M; Department of Medicine, Klinikum Steglitz, Free University of;
       Berlin, Germany.
 SO    AIDS. 1994 May;8(5):661-5. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/94338603
 AB    OBJECTIVE: To assess total serum carotene concentration in HIV-infected
       patients as an indicator of fat malabsorption in correlation with
       diarrhoea, secondary enteric infections, and blood lymphocyte subsets.
       DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: Two referral-based tertiary care
       centres in Berlin, Germany. PATIENTS: A total of 33 controls and 116
       HIV-infected patients who had complete microbiological evaluation of
       stools and biopsies obtained at upper endoscopy because of diarrhoea (n
       = 54), or other symptoms (n = 62), were studied. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:
       Total serum carotene concentration was determined
       spectrophotometrically. RESULTS: Total serum carotene concentration was
       abnormal (< 0.88 mumol/l) in 77% of HIV-infected patients and
       significantly decreased compared with controls [0.47 mumol/l (range,
       0.06-1.69 mumol/l) versus 1.37 mumol/l (range, 0.88-2.92 mumol/l); P <
       0.0001]. Total serum carotene concentration did not differ between AIDS
       patients and patients at earlier disease stages, between patients with
       or without secondary enteric infections, or between patients with or
       without fever. In patients at earlier disease stages, but not in AIDS
       patients, total serum carotene concentration was lower for patients with
       than without diarrhoea. The percentage of CD4 lymphocytes (r = 0.364; P
       < 0.001), CD4 count (r = 0.28; P = 0.0013), and CD4/CD8 ratio (r = 0.38;
       P < 0.001) in the peripheral blood correlated with total serum carotene
       levels in HIV-infected patients. CONCLUSION: HIV-infected patients
       frequently have abnormal total serum carotene concentrations indicating
       fat malabsorption which may contribute to diarrhoea. Furthermore, total
       serum carotene concentrations correlate with immunologic abnormalities
       in HIV infection.
 DE    Carotene/BLOOD/*DEFICIENCY  Diarrhea/COMPLICATIONS  Dietary
       Fats/PHARMACOKINETICS  Female  Human  HIV
       Infections/*BLOOD/COMPLICATIONS  Intestinal
       Diseases/COMPLICATIONS/MICROBIOLOGY  Intestinal Diseases,
       Parasitic/COMPLICATIONS  Leukocyte Count  Malabsorption
       Syndromes/BLOOD/COMPLICATIONS  Male  Prospective Studies  Support,
       Non-U.S. Gov't  T4 Lymphocytes  JOURNAL ARTICLE

       SOURCE: National Library of Medicine.  NOTICE: This material may be
       protected by Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.Code).