Serum lipids and lipoproteins during malaria infection.

Total serum cholesterol and lipoproteins levels were determined in a selected group of healthy and Plasmodium falciparum infected Cameroonians. There was a significant difference (P less than 0.05) in the level of the cholesterol between normal individuals (1.61 +/- 0.60 g1-1) and patients (1.23 +/- 0.37 g1-1). The mean values +/- SD of HDL cholesterol were (0.62 +/- 0.25 g1-1) and (0.46 +/- 0.36 g1-1) for controls and malaria infected subjects respectively. The LDL cholesterol concentration was (0.77 +/- 0.85 g1-1) in patients compared to (0.99 +/- 0.33 g1-1) for controls. There was a significant difference between the apolipoprotein B concentration in the sera of non infected (1.03 +/- 0.50 g1-1) and infected subjects (1.64 +/- 0.50 g1-1) (P less than 0.05). A decrease of apolipoprotein A was observed in the sera of patients (1.36 +/- 0.60 g1-1) compared to controls (1.70 +/- 0.34 g1-1). These results suggest a possible atherogenic risk during persistent malaria infection.