The thrombotic profile of treatment-naive HIV-positive Black South Africans with acute coronary syndromes.
BACKGROUND
Patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection on protease inhibitors (PIs) have a heightened risk of arterial thrombosis but little is known about treatment-naive patients.


RESULTS
Prospective study from South Africa comparing thrombotic profiles of HIV-positive and -negative patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). A total of 30 treatment-naive HIV-positive patients with ACS were compared to 30 HIV-negative patients with ACS. Patients with HIV were younger; and besides smoking (73% vs 33%) and low high-density lipoprotein (HDL; 0.8 ± 0.3 vs 1.1 ± 0.4), they had fewer risk factors. Thrombophilia was more common in HIV-positive patients with lower protein C (PC; 82 ± 22 vs 108 ± 20) and higher factor VIII levels (201 ± 87 vs 136 ± 45). Patients with HIV had higher frequencies of anticardiolipin (aCL; 47% vs 10%) and antiprothrombin antibodies (87% vs 21%).


CONCLUSIONS
Treatment-naive HIV-positive patients with ACS are younger, with fewer traditional risk factors but a greater degree of thrombophilia compared with HIV-negative patients.
Becker
A C
AC
Division of Cardiology, Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, Johannesburg, South Africa. abecker@worldonline.co.za
Jacobson
B
B
Singh
S
S
Sliwa
K
K
Stewart
S
S
Libhaber
E
E
Essop
M R
MR
D054058:Acute Coronary Syndrome / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D017153:Antibodies, Anticardiolipin / Q000097:blood; D044383:Black People; D005169:Factor VIII / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011486:Protein C / Q000032:analysis*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013019:South Africa; D019851:Thrombophilia / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy
D017153:Antibodies, Anticardiolipin; D011486:Protein C; D005169:Factor VIII