title: Antiretroviral therapy reduces markers of endothelial and coagulation activation in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1.
abstract: We investigated the effect of antiretroviral therapy on vascular activation in 41 human immunodeficiency (HIV)--infected patients receiving a regimen that included either at least 1 protease inhibitor (PI; n = 21) or a nonnucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI; n = 20). A control group of 21 healthy subjects was included for comparison. Levels of endothelial markers (soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule [sVCAM]--1, soluble intercellular adhesion molecule--1, and von Willebrand factor) were higher in HIV-infected persons before treatment than in control subjects and decreased significantly after 5--13 months of treatment. Levels of sVCAM-1 and von Willebrand factor correlated significantly with initial virus load. d-dimer concentrations also decreased significantly after initiation of treatment. PI- and NNRTI-containing regimens had similar effects. Therapy did not reduce levels of the soluble platelet (sP) activation markers sP-selectin and CD40 ligand. The inhibition of markers of vascular activation may counterbalance sequelae of therapy-induced dyslipidemia and potentially prevent development of atherosclerosis in HIV-infected patients.
authors.affiliation: Basel Center for HIV Research, Outpatient Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Katja
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wolf
authors.forename: Dimitrios A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Tsakiris
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Erb
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Battegay
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000328:Adult; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; D001777:Blood Coagulation; D023201:CD40 Ligand / Q000032:analysis; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D015497:HIV-1; D006801:Humans; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D015539:Platelet Activation; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000097:blood; D014841:von Willebrand Factor / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; D014841:von Willebrand Factor; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1; D023201:CD40 Ligand