Functional impairments of microcirculation in HIV-positive patients: a laser Doppler fluxometry-based investigation.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of our study was to investigate the morphologic and functional characteristics of microcirculation in HIV-positive patients. Microcirculation was investigated by means of capillaroscopy and laser Doppler fluxometry (LDF). The results were compared with those obtained from healthy subjects and patients affected by sclerodermia.


METHODS
We evaluated 140 subjects: 69 HIV-positive, 48 sclerodermic, and 23 healthy individuals. The groups were compared for resting flow (RF), mean flow during cold test, mean flow during the recovery, postocclusive reaction, and time of recovery after reactive hyperaemia.


RESULTS
RF (p = .0035), flow during the cold test (p = .008), recovery (p = .03), and postocclusive reaction (p = .007) results were higher in HIV-1 positive patients with respect to the other two groups. Recovery after postocclusive reaction in HIV-positive patients was longer than in healthy individuals. Time from diagnosis and a pathologic electromyography were significantly related to a vasospasm reduction induced by the cold test (p = .022). The recovery was also influenced by the time from disease diagnosis (p = .0016).


CONCLUSIONS
HIV patients seem to have an altered microcirculation regulation, with increased perfusion of the capillary territory. This could be related to the length of period of infection and a coexisting neuropathy.
Maggi
Paolo
P
Institute of Infectious Diseases, University of Bari, Bari, Italy. p_maggi@yahoo.com
Bellacosa
Chiara
C
Grattagliano
Vito
V
Pastore
Giuseppe
G
Lapadula
Giovanni
G
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002196:Capillaries / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000821:virology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D017078:Laser-Doppler Flowmetry; D008297:Male; D008833:Microcirculation; D020678:Microscopic Angioscopy; D008875:Middle Aged; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*