N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) in HIV-1 infected individuals on HAART.
BACKGROUND
Studies suggest that highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) prolongs life in HIV infected individuals and that HIV infected individuals increasingly suffer from cardiovascular complications. NT-proBNP has been shown to represent an indicator of cardiac function.


METHODS
495 HIV infected individuals under HAART and 1980 blood donors (BD) were tested for N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP). NT-proBNP was performed by an automated electrochemiluminescence immunoassay (ECLIA) method.


RESULTS
HIV infected individuals had significantly higher NT-proBNP levels than age matched blood donors (18-29 y: median: 33 pg/ml HIV vs. 5 pg/ml BD; p = 0.0247; 30-39 y: median: 25 pg/ml HIV vs. 5 pg/ml BD; p = 0.0351; 40-49 y: median: 35.5 pg/ml HIV vs. 5 pg/ml BD; p < 0.0001; 50-59 y: median: 42 pg/ml HIV vs. 36 pg/ml BD; p = 0.3665; 60-69 y: median: 82.5 pg/ml HIV vs. 46 pg/ml BD; p = 0.0055) the effect was consistently found in all age and both gender groups. HIV infected individuals differed from the blood donor control group with respect to cardiovascular risk factors (hypertension, cardiovascular (CV) medication, diabetes mellitus, smoking status). In HIV infected individuals NT-proBNP levels did not correlate to cardiovascular risk factors including GFR except for C-reactive protein (CRP) levels using multivariate analysis. There was also no evidence for cardiotoxic effects due to HAART or specific antiretroviral drugs. High NT-proBNP levels were found in Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infected individuals who had received alpha-interferon therapy.


CONCLUSIONS
HIV infected individuals had higher NT-proBNP levels than age matched blood donors possibly as a result of a higher prevalence of general cardiovascular risk factors and HIV associated risk factors, the finding is consistent with an increased incidence of cardiovascular events described in HIV infected individuals. Further studies on the relationship to cardiovascular outcome are warranted.
Berg
T
T
Medizinisches Labor Dr. Berg, Berlin, Germany.
Zdunek
D
D
Stalke
J
J
Dupke
S
S
Baumgarten
A
A
Carganico
A
A
Hess
Georg
G
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015497:HIV-1; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain / Q000097:blood*; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000097:blood*; D012307:Risk Factors
D015415:Biomarkers; D010446:Peptide Fragments; C109794:pro-brain natriuretic peptide (1-76); D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain