Nutritional biomarkers associated with gynecological conditions among US women with or at risk of HIV infection.
BACKGROUND
Women infected with HIV face a combination of health threats that include compromised nutrition and adverse gynecological conditions. This relation among HIV, nutrition, and gynecological conditions is complex and has rarely been investigated.


OBJECTIVE
Our objective was to investigate nutritional biomarkers associated with several gynecological conditions among US women with or at risk of HIV infection.


METHODS
Data on 369 HIV-infected and 184 HIV-uninfected women with both nutritional and gynecological outcomes were analyzed from a cross-sectional nutritional substudy of the HIV Epidemiology Research Study (HERS). We examined micronutrient distributions comparing HIV-infected with HIV-uninfected participants and both subgroups with the US population. We then modeled the relation of 16 micronutrient serum concentrations to various gynecological conditions, producing partially adjusted odds ratios, adjusted for study site, risk cohort, and HIV status.


RESULTS
HIV-infected women's median antioxidant concentrations were lower than the medians of the US population. HERS women had lower median concentrations for vitamin A, selenium, and zinc irrespective of HIV status. Trichomoniasis prevalence was inversely related to serum alpha-carotene. Lower concentrations of vitamins A, C, and E and beta-carotene were associated with an increased risk of bacterial vaginosis. Higher concentrations of serum zinc were associated with lower risk of human papillomavirus. Candida colonization was higher among women with higher concentrations of total-iron-binding capacity.


CONCLUSIONS
We identified several significant associations of micronutrient concentrations with the prevalence of gynecological conditions. These findings warrant further investigation into possible causal relations.
Tohill
Beth C
BC
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease and Public Health Prevention, Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity and Division of Reproductive Health, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA. btohill@cdc.gov
Heilig
Charles M
CM
Klein
Robert S
RS
Rompalo
Anne
A
Cu-Uvin
Susan
S
Piwoz
Ellen G
EG
Jamieson
Denise J
DJ
Duerr
Ann
A
D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D018977:Micronutrients / Q000097:blood; D009752:Nutritional Status; D016017:Odds Ratio; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D016585:Vaginosis, Bacterial / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014815:Vitamins / Q000097:blood
D015415:Biomarkers; D018977:Micronutrients; D014815:Vitamins