Serum lipids of pemphigus foliaceus patients on long-term glucocorticoid therapy

• Main Authors: Selma Freire de Carvalho da Cunha, Vitorino Modesto dos Santos, Jacqueline Pontes Monteiro, Tácio Pierre Sousa Ferreira, Jenner Arruda Modesto dos Santos, Taciana Arruda Modesto dos Santos, Daniel Ferreira da Cunha
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical (SBMT) 2003
• Subjects: Pemphigus foliaceus; Glucocorticoid therapy; Serum lipids; Triglycerides; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doaj.org/article/7696ff3c5eec422a8fcf08ce7f611696

Endemic pemphigus foliaceus, and long-term corticotherapy may affect serum lipid levels. The aim of this study was to compare serum lipids of pemphigus foliaceus patients on glucocorticoid therapy to a healthy control group. Fifteen patients receiving prednisone (0.33 ± 0.22mg/kg) for at least 12 months and 15 controls were submitted to 48-h food intake records, anthropometry, and biochemical measurements. Data were compared by chi2, Mann-Whitney and Student "t" tests. The groups were matched for gender, age, weight, body mass index, arm circumference and triceps skin fold. No differences were observed in relation to energy, fat, protein and carbohydrate daily intakes, total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, uric acid, and serum creatinine levels. Pemphigus foliaceus patients had higher triglyceride [159 (64-371) vs. 100 (45-133) mg/dl], VLDL [32 (13-74) vs. 20 (9-114) mg/dl] and ESR [44 (9-87) vs. 7 (1-30) mm/h] levels than controls, probably due to metabolic effects of inflammatory disease and corticotherapy.