Ultrasonographic measurement of intra-abdominal fat thickness in HIV-infected patients treated or not with antiretroviral drugs and its correlation to lipid and glycemic profiles.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the intra-abdominal fat thickness measured by ultrasound between HIV-infected patients treated or not with antiretroviral drugs and to correlate these visceral adiposity measurements to other parameters of cardiovascular risks.


METHODS
In a transversal observational study, 160 HIV-infected patients were recruited and divided in two groups, i.e., 123 antiretroviral (ARV)-treated and 37 ARV-naïve patients. These patients were submitted to anthropometric determinations, laboratorial analysis, ultrasonographic measurements of subcutaneous and intra- abdominal fat thickness and to tetrapolar bioelectrical impedance analysis in order to measure the body composition.


RESULTS
In the patients treated with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) the intra-abdominal fat pad was significantly thicker than that of the untreated group (69 +/- 21 mm, n = 123 vs. 60 +/- 18 mm, n = 37; p = 0.03 Student's t test). The intra-abdominal fat thickness correlated significantly with plasma triglyceride, total cholesterol, fasting glucose, glucose measurements 2 h after dextrose load, fasting insulin, HOMA-IR index, systolic and diastolic blood pressures, weight, BMI, WHR and caliper-measured total fat percentage.


CONCLUSIONS
The results showed that antiretroviral therapy is associated with increased ultrasonographic measurements of visceral adiposity. Our data demonstrated a strong correlation between intra-abdominal fat thickness and independent risk factors of cardiovascular disease: atherogenic lipid profile and insulin resistance.
Guimarães
Milena Maria Moreira
MM
Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brasil. milenamg@uol.com.br
de Oliveira
Antônio Ribeiro
AR
Penido
Mariana Guimarães
MG
Queiroz
Leonardo Campos
LC
Goulart
Eugênio Marcos Andrade
EM
Greco
Dirceu Bartolomeu
DB
Machado
Lucas José de Campos
LJ
D000328:Adult; D000886:Anthropometry; D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology*; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D039682:HIV-Associated Lipodystrophy Syndrome / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D050152:Intra-Abdominal Fat / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000187:drug effects*; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D014463:Ultrasonography
D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents; D001786:Blood Glucose; D008055:Lipids