Low cholesterol levels are associated with meningococcal sepsis

This study was published in Critical Care Medicine 2005 Jul;33(7):1610-5

Study title and authors:
Serum lipids and disease severity in children with severe meningococcal sepsis.

Vermont CL, den Brinker M, Kâkeci N, de Kleijn ED, de Rijke YB, Joosten KF, de Groot R, Hazelzet JA.
Department of Pediatrics, Erasmus MC, Sophia, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16003070

Meningococcal sepsis is where bacteria has invaded the bloodstream. This results in fever, irritability, headaches and a stiff neck. Once the bacteria is in the blood, it begins to attack organs and cause internal bleeding and can be fatal within a matter of  hours.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the role of cholesterol levels in children with severe meningococcal sepsis. The study included 57 patients admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit with meningococcal sepsis or septic shock.

The study found:
(a) Cholesterol levels on admission to the pediatric intensive care unit were very low in all patients.
(b) Cholesterol levels were significantly lower in nonsurvivors than in survivors.
(c) The lower the cholesterol levels - the more severe the illness.

The results of the study show that low cholesterol levels are associated with meningococcal sepsis and the lower the cholesterol are - the more severe the disease is.