title: alpha-Tocopherol as an antiretroviral therapy supplement for HIV-1-infected patients for increased lymphocyte viability.
abstract: The aim of our study was to evaluate the benefits of supplementation with 800 mg/day of alpha-tocopherol with regard to cellular viability in HIV-1 seropositive patients undergoing anti-retroviral therapy. A total of 29 patients participated in the study, of whom 14 were given the supplement and 15 a placebo. The analyses were carried out before treatment commenced and after 60, 120 and 180 days. The plasma levels of HIV-1 RNA showed a significant decrease as a consequence of treatment time in the groups studied (p = 0.0001), although the difference between the treatments over time was not verified (p = 0.7343). The percentage of viable lymphocytes showed a significant increase as a consequence of treatment time in both groups studied (p = 0.0002) and a significant difference between the treatments over time (p = 0.0472). The percentage of lymphocytes in apoptosis showed a significant reduction over time (p = 0.0003), as well as a significant difference between the treatments over time (p = 0.0321). The significant increase in cellular viability indicates that supplementation with alpha-tocopherol offers an additional positive effect on cellular preservation in HIV-1 individuals undergoing anti-retroviral therapy; however, it represents an additional risk of anti-retroviral therapeutic failure, possibly due to drug-drug interaction involving up-regulation of metabolic clearance.
authors.affiliation: Pharmacy Post-Graduate Program, Florianópolis, Brazil.
authors.forename: Odilon
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: de Souza Júnior
authors.forename: Arício
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Treitinger
authors.forename: Giovana Lotici
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Baggio
authors.forename: Cleonice
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Michelon
authors.forename: Júlio Cesar
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Verdi
authors.forename: Joel
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cunha
authors.forename: Silvia I A C P
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.forename: Celso
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Spada
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016516:CD4-CD8 Ratio; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D000975:Antioxidants; D012367:RNA, Viral; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol