01509nas a2200265   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653001600055653001100071653004100082653001200123653001900135653001800154100001500172700001700187700001800204700001600222700001300238245014800251300001000399490000700409050003200416520078100448022001401229       1982                            d  c1982 Apr10aCholesterol10aHumans10aHydroxymethylglutaryl CoA Reductases10aleprosy10aMevalonic Acid10aMycobacterium1 aKannan K B1 aVenkatesan K1 aBharadwaj V P1 aSritharan V1 aKatoch K00aIndirect assay of beta hydroxy beta methyl glutaryl CoA reductase in the sera of leprosy patients--a further probe into cholesterol metabolism.  a242-50 v54  aInfolep Library - available3 a<p>With an aim to study the cholesterol biosynthetic capacity of the leprosy patients, the enzyme Beta hydroxy methyl glutaryl CoA reductase (HMG CoA) has been indirectly determined in the sera of leprosy patients and their family members by assaying the circulating levels of HMG CoA and mevalonate and finding out the ratio between two. The ratio was around 1 in leprosy patients indicating a normal HMG CoA reductase activity and approximately the same values were obtained in cases of healthy controls. The results suggest that cholesterol biosynthetic capacity of leprosy patients is normal. Whether cholesterol, the final product or intermediates like mevalonate are utilised by the invading M. leprae, thereby causing a lowered cholesterol level remains to be seen.</p>  a0024-1024