Is arterial stiffness in HIV-infected individuals associated with HIV-related factors?

• Published in: Brazilian journal of medical and biological research Vol. 45; no. 9; pp. 818 - 826
• Main Authors: Monteiro, P, Miranda-Filho, D B, Bandeira, F, Lacerda, H R, Chaves, H, Albuquerque, M F P M, Montarroyos, U R, Ximenes, R A A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Portuguese
• Published: Brazil Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical 01.09.2012; Associação Brasileira de Divulgação Científica
• Subjects: Acquired immune deficiency syndrome; Adult; Age; Aged; AIDS; Antihypertensives; Antiretroviral therapy; Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; Antiviral agents; Aorta; Arterial stiffness; BIOLOGY; Blood Flow Velocity - physiology; Blood pressure; Blood Pressure - physiology; Case-Control Studies; CD4 antigen; CD4 Lymphocyte Count; Cholesterol; Cross-Sectional Studies; Diabetes mellitus; Female; Glucose; Heart rate; Heart Rate - physiology; HIV; HIV Infections - blood; HIV Infections - drug therapy; HIV Infections - physiopathology; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humans; Hypertension; Immune reconstitution; Immune status; Infection; Inflammation; Lipoproteins (high density); Lymphocytes T; Male; MEDICINE, RESEARCH & EXPERIMENTAL; Metabolic disorders; Middle Aged; Pulse wave velocity; Risk Factors; Short Communication; Statistical analysis; Triglycerides; Vascular Stiffness - physiology; Viral Load; Waves; Young Adult; Pulse wave velocity; AIDS; HIV; Arterial stiffness; Antiretroviral therapy
• ISSN: 0100-879X; 1414-431X; 1414-431X; 0100-879X
• DOI: 10.1590/S0100-879X2012007500116

We investigated the association between pulse wave velocity (PWV) and HIV infection, antiretroviral treatment-related characteristics, viral load, immune status, and metabolic changes in a cross-sectional study nested in a cohort of HIV/AIDS patients who have been followed for metabolic and cardiovascular changes since 2007. The study included patients recruited from the cohort (N = 261) and a comparison group (N = 82) of uninfected individuals, all enrolled from April to November 2009. Aortic stiffness was estimated using the carotid-femoral PWV (Complior-Artech, Paris, France). The groups were similar with respect to age, metabolic syndrome, diabetes mellitus, Framingham score, and use of antihypertensive and hypolipidemic medications. Hypertension was more frequent among the controls. Individuals with HIV had higher triglyceride, glucose and HDL cholesterol levels. Among individuals with HIV/AIDS, those with a nadir CD4+ T-cell count <200 cells/mm³ had a higher PWV (P = 0.01). There was no statistically significant difference when subjects were stratified by gender. Heart rate, age, male gender, and blood pressure were independently correlated with PWV. Nadir CD4+ T-cell count did not remain in the final model. There was no significance difference in PWV between HIV-infected individuals and uninfected controls. PWV was correlated with age, gender, and blood pressure across the entire population and among those infected with HIV. We recommend cohort studies to further explore the association between inflammation related to HIV infection and/or immune reconstitution and antiretroviral use and PWV.