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Journal of the American College of Nutrition, Vol. 17, No. 1, 25-29 (1998)
Published by the American College of Nutrition

Original Paper

Low Levels of Linoleic Acid in Plasma Total Lipids of HIV-1 Seropositive Children

Carlo Agostoni, MD, FACN, Gian Vincenzo Zuccotti, MD, Enrica Riva, MD, Silvia Decarlis, MD, Luca Bernardo, MD, Maria G Bruzzese, BSc and Marcello Giovannini, MD, FACN

Department of Pediatrics, University of Milan Medical School, San Paolo Hospital, Milan, ITALY

Address reprint requests to: Carlo Agostoni, MD, Department of Pediatrics, San Paolo Hospital, 8 Via A. di Rudini, 20142 Milan, ITALY

Objective: To assess the plasma fatty acid status of a group of well-nourished children with the human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) and how this relates to the blood total CD4+ lymphocyte count.

Subjects: Fourteen HIV-1 seropositive children at various stages of disease and with adequate growth indices were assessed and compared to a control group of 30 healthy children.

Results: The concentrations (mg/dL) of plasma total fatty acids were not different between the two groups. HIV-1 seropositive children presented lower levels of 18-C essential polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA: linoleic acid, LA, and alpha-linolenic acid) and higher levels of their 20-C long-chain derivatives (di-homo-{gamma}-linolenic acid, arachidonic acid, AA, and eicosapentaenoic acid) and docosahexaenoic acid in their plasma total lipids. The lowest plasma LA levels were observed in the subgroup of patients with more advanced stages of disease. In bivariate analyses the plasma LA levels related positively (Spearman r=0.50, p=0.06), while the LA/AA ratio related negatively (Spearman r=-0.51, p=0.06), to the total CD4+ count.

Conclusions: Childhood HIV-1 infection is associated with changes in plasma fatty acid profile suggestive of an increased PUFA turnover. Decreased levels of LA (together with higher plasma AA levels) appear to be associated with more advanced clinical and biochemical stages of disease.

Key words: HIV-1 childhood infection, linoleic acid, polyunsaturated fatty acids

Abbreviations: AA=arachidonic acid • DGLA=di-homo-{gamma}-linolenic acid • DHA=docosahexaenoic acid • EPA=eicosapentaenoic acid • FA=fatty acids • HIV-1=human immunodeficiency virus-type 1 • LA=linoleic acid • LnA={alpha}-linolenic acid • PUFA=polyunsaturated fatty acids






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