title: Impaired diastolic function in naïve untreated human immunodeficiency virus infected patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate cardiac function and structure in untreated human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patients without clinical evidence of cardiovascular disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-three naïve untreated HIV-infected patients and 56 healthy control subjects underwent clinical assessment, electrocardiography (ECG) and echocardiography, including tissue doppler imaging. Moreover, a set of laboratory parameters was obtained from all subjects, including HIV-RNA plasma levels, CD4 cell counts and tumor necrosis factor-α levels.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The two groups showed normal ECG traces and no differences regarding systolic morphologic parameters. In contrast, a higher prevalence of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (abnormal relaxation or pseudonormal filling pattern) was found in the HIV patients (36% vs 9% in patients and controls, respectively, P <0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Subclinical cardiac abnormalities appear in an early stage of the HIV infection, independent of antiretroviral therapy. The data suggest that HIV per se plays a role in the genesis of diastolic dysfunction.
authors.affiliation: Ugo Oliviero, Giorgio Bosso, Valentina Apuzzi, Antonio Valvano, Raffaele Napoli, Luigi Saccà, Department of Internal Medicine, University Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Ugo
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Oliviero
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bonadies
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bosso
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Foggia
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Apuzzi
authors.forename: Mariarosaria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cotugno
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Valvano
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Leonardi
authors.forename: Guglielmo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Borgia
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Castello
authors.forename: Raffaele
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Napoli
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Saccà