[HDL cholesterol as a sensitive diagnostic parameter in malaria].

In patients with malaria the lipid parameters triglycerides, cholesterol, and HDL-cholesterol were determined routinely. At the time of admission hypertriglyceridemia, hypocholesterolemia, and an extreme decrease in HDL-cholesterol were found. This dyslipoproteinemia was present in cases of falciparum malaria, as well as in cases of benign tertian malaria. The extent of HDL-cholesterol decrease showed no correlation to the severity of the clinical course of disease. HDL-cholesterol has proven to be an independent diagnostic laboratory finding in cases of suspected malarial infection. This parameter displays high diagnostic sensitivity, but no specificity for malaria.