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- Title
Endothelial function in HIV-infected patients receiving protease inhibitor therapy: does immune competence affect cardiovascular risk?.
- Authors
D. Nolan; G.F. Watts; S.E. Herrmann; M.A. French; M. John; S. Mallal
- Abstract
Background: The use of HIV protease inhibitors (PIs) as a component of combination antiretroviral therapy in HIV-infected patients has been associated with dyslipidaemia, but its significance as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease is unclear. Endothelial dysfunction is an early phase of atherogenesis that may be assessed non-invasively with ultrasonography in vivo. Aim: To evaluate vascular function and investigate potential determinants of endothelial dysfunction of the peripheral circulation in PI-treated, HIV-infected men with dyslipidaemia. Design: Observational, case-control study. Methods: We studied 24 HIV-infected, PI-treated men with dyslipidaemia and 24 normolipidaemic, healthy male controls matched for age and body mass index. Brachial artery endothelial function was studied using high-resolution ultrasound and computerized edge-detection software. This non-invasive technique measured post-ischaemic flow-mediated dilatation (FMD), and the endothelium-independent vasodilatory response to glyceryl trinitrate (GTN). Results: Within the HIV patient group, FMD was significantly associated with percentage of 'naïve' CD4 + 45RA + T cells (p = 0.03), while plasma lipid/lipoprotein and insulin levels, body mass, and smoking status did not correlate with endothelial function. FMD was not significantly different between the study group and the controls. Conclusions: The atherogenic potential of PI-associated dyslipidaemia may be attenuated in HIV-infected patients with decreased immune competence, reflecting a possible contribution of cell-mediated immune responses to the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis.
- Subjects
HIV; PROTEASE inhibitors; CARDIOVASCULAR diseases; PATIENTS
- Publication
QJM: An International Journal of Medicine, 2003, Vol 96, Issue 11, p825
- ISSN
1460-2725
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1093/qjmed/hcg145