Serum lipoprotein electrophoresis of HIV infected persons in Kolkata

Recent studies have shown abnormal serum lipids in HIV infected persons and use of protease inhibitors in their treatment further accentuates this condition. There are many studies on lipid profile of HIV infected patients but there is no study on serum lipoprotein electrophoresis in this group of patients. Thus we were interested to study this aspect in HIV infected persons in our locality. Serum samples of 21 HIV positive untreated cases and 24 HIV negative cases (control) were collected and lipoprotein electrophoresis was done utilizing Beckman kits (USA), in Beckman Electrophoresis and Appraise densitometer system. Chylomicron, beta, pre-beta and alpha fractions were measured and evaluated statistically. Average values of Chylomicron, beta, pre-beta and alpha fractions in the control group were 5.1%, 65.7%, 21.8%, 7.4% respectively and average values of Chylomicron, beta, pre-beta and alpha fractions in the test group were 7.9%, 59.8%, 27.0%, 5.3% respectively. P-values of the differences were statistically significant. Therefore, Serum lipoprotein electrophoresis in HIV infected patients in Kolkata showed increased chylomicrons and prebeta fractions while beta and alpha fractions were decreased.