Background: Ulcerative colitis is a common type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between lipid profile, especially high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and malondialdehyde (MDA) level in patients with ulcerative colitis. Methods: In this study, 45 patients with ulcerative colitis were selected, 25 of whom were diagnosed with active disease and 20 were in clinical remission. Moreover, 45 healthy subjects were selected as the controls. The status of serum lipid profile and MDA level were measured via precise photometric methods. The obtained data were analyzed, using independent t-test and correlation coefficient test. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The serum level of HDL-C decreased, while the serum level of MDA significantly increased in patients with ulcerative colitis in comparison with the healthy controls (P < 0.05). No significant correlation was observed between the MDA level and triglyceride, cholesterol, and LDL-C levels in patients with ulcerative colitis. However, a significant inverse correlation was observed between HDL-C and MDA levels (r, -0.306; P < 0.05).
Conclusions:The inverse correlation between HDL-C and MDA levels can be regarded as an indicator of the protective role of HDL-C against lipid peroxidation in ulcerative colitis. In patients with ulcerative colitis, the serum level of HDL-C decreased in comparison with healthy subjects. Therefore, it is necessary to determine the HDL-C level in patients with ulcerative colitis.