ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Wasting is a well-recognized manifestation of tuberculosis (TB), but little is known about the alterations in body composition that occur. Therefore, we measured regional and whole-body composition in patients with TB and wasting. METHODS: Body composition was measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry in 18 patients with newly diagnosed TB and wasting (10 coinfected with human immunodeficiency virus [HIV]) and 22 controls (10 coinfected with HIV). RESULTS: Patients with TB and wasting had significantly lower body weight (48.6 versus 62.0 kg), lean body mass (39.6 versus 45.6 kg), and fat mass (6.2 versus 12.6 kg) than did controls. Patients with TB had significantly reduced lean tissue in the limbs (15.2 versus 19.1 kg) and trunk (21.3 versus 23.2 kg) and significantly higher trunk-to-limb lean ratio (1.41 versus 1.22) compared with controls. Patients with TB had significantly reduced fat in the limbs (3.4 versus 6.1 kg) and trunk (2.1 versus 5.7 kg) and significantly lower trunk-to-limb fat ratio (0.52 versus 0.92) compared with controls. Body composition measurements were no different in patients with and without HIV coinfection. CONCLUSIONS: Wasting in TB is associated with depletion of whole-body lean and fat tissue in approximately equal proportions overall, but lean tissue depletion is greater in the limbs and fat tissue depletion is greater in the trunk. HIV coinfection does not affect the magnitude or distribution of the body composition changes.
Subject(s)
AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections/physiopathology , Absorptiometry, Photon/methods , Body Composition , HIV Wasting Syndrome/physiopathology , Wasting Syndrome/physiopathology , Adipose Tissue/metabolism , Adult , Body Weight , Case-Control Studies , Humans , Male , Muscle, Skeletal/metabolism , TuberculosisABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis (TB) and HIV infection are wasting diseases that frequently occur together and have severe consequences on nutritional status. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to determine the effects of TB and HIV, separately and together, on protein metabolism. DESIGN: Protein metabolism was determined in the fed state in 11 healthy control subjects, in 10 patients with HIV infection without TB or other active infection (HIV group), in 10 patients with active TB without HIV infection (TB group), and in 8 patients with HIV infection and active TB (HIVTB group) with the use of oral [(15)N]glycine and measurement of enrichment in urinary urea and ammonia. RESULTS: Whole-body protein flux and degradation were lower in the HIV group than in the control group (mean flux: 3.53 +/- 0.40 compared with 4.75 +/- 0.97 g. kg lean body mass(-1). 12 h(-1); P = 0.002). Protein flux, synthesis, and degradation were not significantly different between the control group and the TB and HIVTB groups. Net protein balance was strongly anabolic in the control, HIV, and TB groups but was neutral in the HIVTB group (P < 0.001 for comparison between groups). CONCLUSIONS: HIV infection was associated with a significant down-regulation of whole-body protein flux. TB alone was not associated with abnormal protein metabolism, but net anabolism in the fed state was impaired in the HIVTB group.
Subject(s)
AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections/metabolism , Dietary Proteins/metabolism , Glycine/metabolism , HIV Infections/metabolism , Tuberculosis/metabolism , Adult , Case-Control Studies , Dietary Proteins/administration & dosage , Energy Intake , Energy Metabolism , HIV Infections/complications , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Muscle Proteins/biosynthesis , Tuberculosis/complicationsABSTRACT
We investigated the prevalence of and factors associated with lipodystrophy in a cohort of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients in Singapore. A standardized questionnaire was administered to 410 consecutive patients (mainly Chinese men), and blood samples were obtained for metabolic measurements for fasting patients. Peripheral fat loss was reported by 46% of subjects, central fat gain was reported by 32%, and 8% of patients overall had a mixed clinical presentation. Levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose, and lactate were elevated in 19%, 38%, 12%, and 16% of patients, respectively. A mixture of drug-related and non-drug-related factors was associated with these changes. The body-shape changes affected the mood of 36% of patients and the work and/or social activity of 23% of patients, but only <1% of affected subjects reported a desire to stop receipt of antiretroviral therapy because of these changes. We conclude that the prevalence of and factors associated with body-shape changes and metabolic abnormalities in HIV-infected Asian patients are similar to those reported for Western cohorts, but the changes did not appear to have a major psychosocial impact on this patient population.
