Altered plasma lipid pattern in falciparum malaria

Abstract

Plasma levels of HDL, LDL, total cholesterol and triglycerides were measured in 60 patients with falciparum malaria (37 severe cases and 23 mild) and in 83 healthy individuals, to study malaria-induced changes in plasma lipids. Triglyceride levels were lower in the patients than in the controls but the difference was significant only for those with severe malaria (P < 0·001). In contrast, the levels of all the other plasma lipids were significantly higher (P < 0·001) in those with severe malaria than in those with mild malaria, and in the mild malaria cases compared with the controls.

Initially LDL cholesterol was estimated by the Friedwald formula, but this gave negative values in a few cases of severe malaria. Plasma lipoproteins were therefore also measured by nephelometry; the estimated levels of S particles, corresponding to LDL, were then found to be lower in all malaria cases than in the controls (P < 0·001) but never negative. Interestingly, levels of L particles in the patients with severe malaria were significantly elevated compared with the other patients and controls (P < 0·001), indicating impaired metabolism of chylomicrons.

Plasma albumin, considered a negative acute phase protein (i.e. its level decreases as a consequence of the acute phase response), was reduced significantly and was directly correlated to HDL cholesterol levels (r = 0·715 and r = 0·895, respectively) in both mild and severe malaria.

Follow-up of 22 of the severe malaria cases three weeks after treatment indicated that, while triglycerides had returned to similar levels to those in the controls, total cholesterol levels were still elevated and could give misleading results if lipid profiles were used, immediately after malaria infection, to assess an individual's risk of developing atherosclerosis.