Vitamins C and E in adolescents and young adults with HIV infection

• Published in: The American journal of clinical nutrition Vol. 83; no. 4; pp. 870 - 879
• Main Authors: Stephensen, Charles B, Marquis, Grace S, Jacob, Robert A, Kruzich, Laurie A, Douglas, Steven D, Wilson, Craig M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bethesda, MD American Society for Nutrition 01.04.2006; American Society for Clinical Nutrition; American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc
• Subjects: acquired immunodeficiency syndrome; Adolescent; adolescents; Adult; adults; alpha-tocopherol; alpha-Tocopherol - blood; Antioxidants; Antioxidants - metabolism; ascorbic acid; Ascorbic Acid - blood; Ascorbic Acid - metabolism; Biological and medical sciences; blood serum; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dietary Supplements; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; gamma-tocopherol; gamma-Tocopherol - blood; HIV; HIV Infections - blood; HIV Infections - immunology; HIV Infections - metabolism; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humans; immunosuppression (physiological); Linear Models; Male; Multivariate Analysis; National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey; Nutritional Requirements; Oxidation; oxidative damage; oxidative stress; Oxidative Stress - drug effects; patients; Prospective Studies; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; Vitamin C; Vitamin E; Vitamin E - blood; Vitamin E - metabolism; Young adults; Human; Immunopathology; Ascorbic acid; AIDS; α-Tocopherol; oxidative damage; E-Vitamins; Antioxidant; Immune deficiency; Infection; Antioxidants; Viral disease; Adolescent; Young adult; ascorbate; Tocopherol; γ-tocopherol
• ISSN: 0002-9165; 1938-3207
• DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/83.4.870

BACKGROUND: Oxidative stress during HIV infection may impair immune function, cause more rapid disease progression, and increase requirements for dietary antioxidants such as vitamins C and E. OBJECTIVES: The study had 2 principal objectives. The first was to ascertain whether HIV infection and immune activation were associated with lower plasma concentrations of ascorbate, urate, and [alpha]- and [gamma]-tocopherols and with total antioxidant status (TAS). The second objective was to ascertain whether these antioxidants were associated with protection against oxidative damage. DESIGN: This was a cross-sectional study involving 241 HIV-positive and 115 HIV-negative subjects aged 14-23 y. Subjects were primarily female (76%) and African American (70%), and 21% were Hispanic. RESULTS: Plasma ascorbate was significantly lower, but [gamma]-tocopherol and TAS were significantly higher in subjects with HIV infection when the analysis was adjusted for dietary intake and sex. Plasma [alpha]-tocopherol did not differ significantly by HIV status. Plasma [gamma]-tocopherol also was higher in subjects with oxidative damage than in those without such damage. More than 90% of subjects had adequate plasma concentrations for both ascorbate and [alpha]-tocopherol, although [alpha]-tocopherol concentrations were lower than expected on the basis of third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data. CONCLUSIONS: Low plasma ascorbate concentrations in HIV-positive subjects suggest that vitamin C requirements are significantly higher in those with HIV infection. Plasma tocopherol concentrations were not depressed by HIV infection and may be maintained by compensatory mechanisms such as the activity of [alpha]-tocopherol transfer protein.