Reduced Cholesterol Levels during Acute Human Babesiosis
Background: Babesiosis, an intra-erythrocytic protozoan disease, is an emerging zoonotic parasitic disease worldwide. Cholesterol levels are correlated with severe infections, such as sepsis and COVID-19, and anecdotal reports suggest that high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol declines during a...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-04-01
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| Series: | Pathogens |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/12/4/613 |
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| author | Luis A. Marcos Charles Kyriakos Vorkas Inderjit Mann Evan Garry Pooja Lamba Sophia K. Pham Rachel Spector Aikaterini Papamanoli Sara Krivacsy Michael Lum Aleena Zahra Wei Hou Eric D. Spitzer |
| author_facet | Luis A. Marcos Charles Kyriakos Vorkas Inderjit Mann Evan Garry Pooja Lamba Sophia K. Pham Rachel Spector Aikaterini Papamanoli Sara Krivacsy Michael Lum Aleena Zahra Wei Hou Eric D. Spitzer |
| author_sort | Luis A. Marcos |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Babesiosis, an intra-erythrocytic protozoan disease, is an emerging zoonotic parasitic disease worldwide. Cholesterol levels are correlated with severe infections, such as sepsis and COVID-19, and anecdotal reports suggest that high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol declines during acute babesiosis. Our aim was to describe the cholesterol levels in patients with acute babesiosis diagnosed in an endemic area in New York, hypothesizing that HDL levels correlate with the severity of infection. Methods: We reviewed the medical records of adult patients with babesiosis diagnosed by identification of <i>Babesia</i> parasites on a thin blood smear and confirmed by polymerase chain reaction from 2013 to 2018, who also had available a lipid profile drawn at the time of clinical presentation. Additional lipid profile levels were considered as “baseline” if they were drawn within 2 months before or after the infection as part of routine care. Results: A total of 39 patients with babesiosis had a lipid profile drawn on presentation. The patients were divided into two groups for comparison based on the treating physician’s clinical decision: 33 patients who were admitted to the hospital and 8 patients who were evaluated as outpatients. A history of hypertension was more common in admitted patients (37% vs. 17%, <i>p</i> = 0.02). The median levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and HDL were significantly reduced in admitted patients compared to non-admitted patients (46 vs. 76 mg/dL, <i>p</i> = 0.04; and 9 vs. 28.5 mg/dL, <i>p</i> = 0.03, respectively). In addition, LDL and HDL levels returned to baseline values following resolution of acute babesiosis. Conclusion: LDL and HDL levels are significantly reduced during acute babesiosis, suggesting that cholesterol depletion may predict disease severity. Pathogen and host factors may contribute to a reduction in serum cholesterol levels during acute babesiosis. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T04:39:44Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d1ff01433838441d9267edcf5ae81af6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-0817 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T04:39:44Z |
| publishDate | 2023-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Pathogens |
| spelling | doaj.art-d1ff01433838441d9267edcf5ae81af62023-11-17T20:49:13ZengMDPI AGPathogens2076-08172023-04-0112461310.3390/pathogens12040613Reduced Cholesterol Levels during Acute Human BabesiosisLuis A. Marcos0Charles Kyriakos Vorkas1Inderjit Mann2Evan Garry3Pooja Lamba4Sophia K. Pham5Rachel Spector6Aikaterini Papamanoli7Sara Krivacsy8Michael Lum9Aleena Zahra10Wei Hou11Eric D. Spitzer12Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USADivision of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USADivision of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USADivision of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USADivision of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USAStony Brook Southampton Hospital, Southampton, NY 11968, USADivision of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USADivision of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USADivision of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USADivision of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USADivision of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USADivision of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Department of Family, Population and Preventive Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USADepartment of Pathology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USABackground: Babesiosis, an intra-erythrocytic protozoan disease, is an emerging zoonotic parasitic disease worldwide. Cholesterol levels are correlated with severe infections, such as sepsis and COVID-19, and anecdotal reports suggest that high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol declines during acute babesiosis. Our aim was to describe the cholesterol levels in patients with acute babesiosis diagnosed in an endemic area in New York, hypothesizing that HDL levels correlate with the severity of infection. Methods: We reviewed the medical records of adult patients with babesiosis diagnosed by identification of <i>Babesia</i> parasites on a thin blood smear and confirmed by polymerase chain reaction from 2013 to 2018, who also had available a lipid profile drawn at the time of clinical presentation. Additional lipid profile levels were considered as “baseline” if they were drawn within 2 months before or after the infection as part of routine care. Results: A total of 39 patients with babesiosis had a lipid profile drawn on presentation. The patients were divided into two groups for comparison based on the treating physician’s clinical decision: 33 patients who were admitted to the hospital and 8 patients who were evaluated as outpatients. A history of hypertension was more common in admitted patients (37% vs. 17%, <i>p</i> = 0.02). The median levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and HDL were significantly reduced in admitted patients compared to non-admitted patients (46 vs. 76 mg/dL, <i>p</i> = 0.04; and 9 vs. 28.5 mg/dL, <i>p</i> = 0.03, respectively). In addition, LDL and HDL levels returned to baseline values following resolution of acute babesiosis. Conclusion: LDL and HDL levels are significantly reduced during acute babesiosis, suggesting that cholesterol depletion may predict disease severity. Pathogen and host factors may contribute to a reduction in serum cholesterol levels during acute babesiosis.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/12/4/613<i>Babesia</i>lipidshigh-density lipoproteinlow-density lipoproteincholesterol |
| spellingShingle | Luis A. Marcos Charles Kyriakos Vorkas Inderjit Mann Evan Garry Pooja Lamba Sophia K. Pham Rachel Spector Aikaterini Papamanoli Sara Krivacsy Michael Lum Aleena Zahra Wei Hou Eric D. Spitzer Reduced Cholesterol Levels during Acute Human Babesiosis Pathogens <i>Babesia</i> lipids high-density lipoprotein low-density lipoprotein cholesterol |
| title | Reduced Cholesterol Levels during Acute Human Babesiosis |
| title_full | Reduced Cholesterol Levels during Acute Human Babesiosis |
| title_fullStr | Reduced Cholesterol Levels during Acute Human Babesiosis |
| title_full_unstemmed | Reduced Cholesterol Levels during Acute Human Babesiosis |
| title_short | Reduced Cholesterol Levels during Acute Human Babesiosis |
| title_sort | reduced cholesterol levels during acute human babesiosis |
| topic | <i>Babesia</i> lipids high-density lipoprotein low-density lipoprotein cholesterol |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/12/4/613 |
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