title: Antiretroviral therapy in HIV-positive women is associated with increased apolipoproteins and total cholesterol.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Dyslipidemia has become a common problem in HIV disease, especially in patients on combination antiretroviral (ARV) therapy. However, little data are available to evaluate lipid abnormalities in women on ARV therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using a cross-sectional design, the prevalence of abnormal plasma lipid and lipoprotein concentrations as well as other biomarkers for vascular disease was determined in 184 HIV-positive women from 2 HIV clinics in Atlanta during 2002.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Most of the women were African American (89%), with median age of 41 years (range 21-72); 6% were diabetic, 44% smoked, and 67% were overweight. ARV therapy defined the comparison groups that included treatment with a protease inhibitor (PI)-based regimen for more than 3 months in 76 (41%), treatment with a nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI)-based regimen for more than 3 months in 38 (20%), and no ARV therapy for the past 3 months in 70 (38%). Women being treated with a PI or NNRTI had higher total cholesterol and triglyceride levels than patients on no therapy (P < 0.05 for each). Women treated with either PIs or NNRTIs had significantly higher apolipoprotein B and apolipoprotein C-III levels than patients on no therapy (P < 0.01 for each).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this cross-sectional study of HIV-infected women, either PI or NNRTI therapy elevated levels of total cholesterol and specific apolipoproteins. These findings, on a background of an older population with additional risk factors of smoking, obesity, and diabetes, may lead to future atherosclerotic events in these patients.
authors.affiliation: Atlanta VA Medical Center, Atlanta, GA 30033, USA. david.rimland@med.va.gov
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rimland
authors.forename: Jodie L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Guest
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hernández-Ramos
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Del Rio
authors.forename: N Anh
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Le
authors.forename: W Virgil
authors.initials: WV
authors.lastname: Brown
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001053:Apolipoproteins / Q000097:blood*; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D001053:Apolipoproteins; D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol