title: Aminotransferase serum levels decrease after initiating antiretroviral treatment in HIV infected patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effect of antiretroviral treatment on aminotransferase serum levels in treatment-naïve patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a longitudinal study in treatment-nanaïve patients infected with HIV. Patients were excluded if they had consumed alcohol during the last three months or had an opportunistic disease or co-infection. All 54 enrolled patients were evaluated and those having a CD4+ cell count <350 cells/ml (41/54) were allocated to the treatment group (TG), while those with CD4+ counts >350 cells/ml (13/54) did not receive any anti-retroviral treatment (ART). TG patients received either efavirenz (EFV) (21/41) or lopinavir/ritonavir (LPV/RTV) (20/41), each with zidovudine/lamivudine (ZDV/LMV).
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the trial, 2 subjects in the EFV group were excluded due to rash and 1 subject in the LPV/RTV group due to gastric intolerance. The remaining 51 subjects (13 (25.5%) in the NTG and 38 (74.5%) in the TG) were included in the data analysis. Overall, 43 (84%) of analyzed patients were male and 8 (16%) female with an overall mean age of 33 ± 9 years. Of the 38 treated patients, 19 received LPV/RTV and 19 received EFV. Patients in the TG showed an increase in their CD4+ cell count, a decrease in aspartate aminotransferase (AST) from 39.3 ± 28 IU/ml to 22.7 ± 6 IU/ml (p = 0.02), and a decrease in alanine aminotransferase (ALT) from 52.0 ± 25 IU/ml to 23.8 ± 13 IU/ml (p < 0.01). Patients in the NTG showed no statistically significant differences in these measurements. Positive correlation was found between HIV viral load, AST (r = 0.31, p = 0.001) and ALT (r = 0.40, p = 0.04).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a significant decrease in aminotransferase serum levels following the initiation of antiretroviral treatment in HIV infected patients.
authors.affiliation: Hospital de Infectología La Raza National Medical Center, Mexico City, Mexico. jamatamarin@yahoo.com.mx
authors.forename: José Antonio
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Mata Marín
authors.forename: Jesús Gaytán
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Martínez
authors.forename: Rafael Arias
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Flores
authors.forename: Sergio Mendoza
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Alvarez
authors.forename: Iván
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: de Jesús Asencio Montiel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000480:Alkynes; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D048588:Benzoxazines / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003521:Cyclopropanes; D004338:Drug Combinations; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D019259:Lamivudine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D061466:Lopinavir; D008297:Male; D011744:Pyrimidinones / Q000008:administration & dosage; D019438:Ritonavir / Q000008:administration & dosage; D044967:Serum / Q000737:chemistry; D000637:Transaminases / Q000097:blood*; D015215:Zidovudine / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D000480:Alkynes; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D048588:Benzoxazines; D003521:Cyclopropanes; D004338:Drug Combinations; D011744:Pyrimidinones; C109078:lamivudine, zidovudine drug combination; D061466:Lopinavir; D019259:Lamivudine; D015215:Zidovudine; D000637:Transaminases; C098320:efavirenz; D019438:Ritonavir