title: Associations between hypertriglyceridemia and serum ghrelin, adiponectin, and IL-18 levels in HIV-infected patients.
abstract: HIV-related metabolic abnormalities include hypertriglyceridemia, hypercholesterolemia, insulin resistance, and diabetes mellitus. Recent studies suggest a role of ghrelin in promoting the deposition of triglycerides (TG) in the liver and regulating the metabolic action of adiponectin. Visceral fat is a key regulator of inflammation and it secretes proinflammatory cytokines (eg, interleukin-18, IL-18), with potential atherogenic activity. The aim of this study was to assay serum concentrations of ghrelin, adiponectin, and IL-18 in HIV+ patients, with and without hypertriglyceridemia, who were receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). The 49 HIV+ patients were divided in 2 groups: 17 patients with serum TG concentration >200 mg/dl (group A) and 32 patients with normal serum TG concentration (group B). All subjects underwent viral and immunological evaluations and determinations of serum cholesterol, glucose, ghrelin, adiponectin, and IL-18. No differences of viral and immunological parameters were observed between the 2 groups. Serum levels of ghrelin were 768 +/- 596 pg/dl in group A and 470 +/- 248 pg/dl in group B (p = 0.01). Group A had lower serum adiponectin levels (8.4 +/- 3.6 microg/dl) than group B (18.2 +/- 10.1 microg/dl; p = 0.0001). Serum IL-18 levels were 455 +/- 199 pg/ml in group A and 258 +/- 233 pg/ml in group B (p = 0.005). The patients with hypertriglyceridemia showed a positive correlation between serum triglyceride and ghrelin levels (r = 0.51, p = 0.03). These findings suggest potential roles of ghrelin, adiponectin, and IL-18 in the pathogenesis of metabolic disorders in HIV-infected patients.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Medicine and Aging, University G. d'Annunzio School of Medicine, Via dei Vestini, 66100 Chieti, Italy.
authors.forename: Katia
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Falasca
authors.forename: Maria Rosaria
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Manigrasso
authors.forename: Delia
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Racciatti
authors.forename: Pompea
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zingariello
authors.forename: Margherita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dalessandro
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ucciferri
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mancino
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marinopiccoli
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Petrarca
authors.forename: Pio
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Conti
authors.forename: Eligio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pizzigallo
authors.forename: Maria Teresa
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Guagnano
authors.forename: Jacopo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vecchiet
mesh_terms: D052242:Adiponectin / Q000097:blood*; D000328:Adult; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; D005260:Female; D054439:Ghrelin; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D015228:Hypertriglyceridemia / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology; D020382:Interleukin-18 / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D036361:Peptide Hormones / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D052242:Adiponectin; D054439:Ghrelin; D020382:Interleukin-18; D036361:Peptide Hormones