Association between HIV replication and cholesterol in peripheral blood mononuclear cells in HIV-infected patients interrupting HAART.
BACKGROUND
Cellular cholesterol is essential for HIV replication and may control HIV spread. HIV, in turn, appears to control cholesterol metabolism.


OBJECTIVE
To describe the relationships between serum lipids, cellular cholesterol and viral replication during highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) interruption.


METHODS
We have correlated virological parameters with the level of circulating lipids in serum and the content of cellular cholesterol in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). The study included 33 patients interrupting HAART with (n = 23) or without (n = 10) atorvastatin treatment.


RESULTS
Atorvastatin treatment did not modify PBMC cholesterol levels at week 4 after HAART interruption, although it significantly reduced serum cholesterol (total and LDL, where LDL stands for low density lipoprotein) (P < 0.05). Serum cholesterol or LDL marginally influenced PBMC cholesterol since no significant correlations were found between these parameters either at 0 or 4 weeks after HAART interruption. Analysis of virological data in all patients revealed a negative trend (P = 0.07) between baseline PBMC cholesterol and absolute CD4 T cell counts at baseline but a poor correlation (P = 0.18) with the viral load (VL) at week 4. Separate analysis of control patients showed a correlation between baseline PBMC cholesterol and VL at week 4 (P = 0.01). However, atorvastatin treatment abrogated this correlation by increasing viral replication in individuals with low cellular cholesterol.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data underscore the potential relevance of PBMC cholesterol in in vivo HIV replication and the complex effects of atorvastatin that seem to be unrelated to PBMC cholesterol.
Negredo
Eugenia
E
Lluita contra la SIDA Foundation, Institut de Recerca en Ciències de la Salut Germans Trias i Pujol, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08916 Badalona, Barcelona, Spain.
Puigdomènech
Isabel
I
Marfil
Silvia
S
Puig
Jordi
J
Pérez-Alvarez
Núria
N
Ruiz
Lidia
L
Rey-Joly
Celestino
C
Clotet
Bonaventura
B
Blanco
Julià
J
D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active / Q000639:trends; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology* / Q000821:virology; D010865:Pilot Projects; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
D002784:Cholesterol