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Comparison of Serum Concentrations of Total Cholesterol and Total Lipid in Different Groups of Female Tuberculosis Patients


AC Nwaka
PN Uzoegwu

Abstract



Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the most dangerous tropical diseases that complicates HIV infection in Nigeria to date. Over two million Nigerians are known to be infected with TB and many more are at risk of the infection. Serum concentrations of total cholesterol and total lipid of 117 female TB patients attending chest clinic at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Ituku, Enugu State, Nigeria and 38 female residents of University of Nigeria, Nsukka Campus who had no history of tuberculosis by the time blood was collected (FTBF) were spectrophotometrically evaluated. The 117 female TB patients were made up of twenty seven (27) TB patients not yet on any form of TB drugs (FTBP), 60 TB patients being treated with a combination of normal complements of TB drugs (FTBD) and 30 confirmed female TB-treated persons (FTBT). Results obtained revealed that the mean serum total cholesterol and total lipid concentrations of the FTBP were 136.66 ± 17.32 mg/dl and 4.5 ± 0.88g/l respectively and FTBD (142.22±28.77 mg/dl and 4.6±0.95 g/l respectively) were significantly lower (p<0.05) than those of FTBF (168.5±18.31 mg/dl and 5.24±1.0 g/l) and FTBT individuals (162.96±28.94 mg/dl and 5.15±0.7 g/l respectively), indicating that TB disease could be associated with hypocholesterolemia and hypolipidemia.

Keywords: Cholesterol, Lipids, Tuberculosis patients

Bio-Research Vol. 6 (1) 2008: pp. 323-327

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eISSN: 2705-3822
print ISSN: 1596-7409