[Changes in the lipid composition of the blood serum lipoproteins during the hormonal treatment of patients with bronchial asthma].

Ultracentrifugation, thin-layer and gas-liquid chromatography were employed to study changes in lipid metabolism in 25 patients with bacterial asthma on glucocorticoid therapy. Before and 1 weeks after administration of glucocorticoid measurements were made of phospholipids, cholesterol and its esters, triacylglycerols in LDL, HDL2 and HDL3. It was found that hormone treatment leads to an increase in the total phospholipid pool in all lipoprotein fractions. High levels of lecithin and palmitinic acid contributed to improvement in composition of pulmonary surfactant. Decreased atherogenicity, a trend to membrane stabilization were positive, while high percentage of saturated fatty acids and low levels of polyenic acids in LDL and HDL2 were negative effects of hormone treatment. Correction of metabolism at the level of fatty acid composition is necessary.