title: Carotid intima-media thickness in HIV patients treated with antiretroviral therapy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Increased cardiovascular risk in HIV patients in antiretroviral therapy (ART) may be due to HIV infection, direct effect of ART or dyslipidaemia induced by ART. Our aim was to study the relative importance of HIV, ART and dyslipidaemia on atherosclerosis, assessed by the comparison of carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT) in non-smoking HIV patients with high or low serum cholesterol levels as well as in healthy volunteers.
  
  
  METHODS
  HIV patients in ART with normal cholesterol (<or=5 x 5 mmol l(-1); n=13) or high cholesterol (>or=6 x 5 mmol l(-1); n=12) as well as healthy controls (n=14) were included. All were non-smokers and had never received medication for dyslipidaemia or hypertension. IMT was measured by ultrasonography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In HIV patients with normal cholesterol (<or=5 x 5 mmol l(-1)), in HIV patients with hypercholesterolaemia (>or=6 x 5 mmol l(-1)) and in controls (5 x 1 +/- 0 x 9 mmol l(-1)) IMT were 683 +/- 119, 656 +/- 99 and 657 +/- 99 microm, respectively. Thus no difference in IMT was found between the three groups. IMT values did not differ between patients receiving and not receiving protease inhibitors (658 +/- 117 microm versus 687 +/- 97 microm, P>0 x 05). In HIV patients IMT correlated inversely with HDL cholesterol levels (r=-0 x 50; P=0 x 01), whereas no correlation was found with total cholesterol or LDL cholesterol.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In non-smoking HIV patients receiving ART no sign of accelerated atherosclerosis was found as assessed by IMT even not in hypercholesterolaemic HIV patients. IMT correlated with HDL cholesterol but not with LDL cholesterol. Based on these observations, one could speculate whether selective lowering of LDL cholesterol will be successful in reducing cardiovascular risk in non-smoking HIV patients.
authors: Department of Infectious Diseases, Hvidovre University Hospital, Hvidovre, Denmark. lebech@dadlnet.dk
authors: Anne-Mette
authors: AM
authors: Lebech
authors: Niels
authors: N
authors: Wiinberg
authors: Ulrik Sloth
authors: US
authors: Kristoffersen
authors: Birger
authors: B
authors: Hesse
authors: Claus Leth
authors: CL
authors: Petersen
authors: Jan
authors: J
authors: Gerstoft
authors: Andreas
authors: A
authors: Kjaer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000473:pathology*; D017540:Tunica Media / Q000473:pathology*; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents