Relationship between leptin levels and suppressed CD4 counts in HIV patients.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the relationship between serum leptin levels and suppression of CD4 count in HIV-infected individuals with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART).


METHODS
Thirty seropositive HIV male patients selected from the Infectious Disease Hospital were classified into two groups according to their immunological and virological response to HAART. The first group included 15 male patients with low viral load and low CD4 counts; the second included 15 male patients with low viral load and high CD4 counts. Morning serum leptin and tumor necrosis factor-α levels of HIV patients were measured and correlated with fasting serum insulin, Homeostasis Model Assessment for Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR), HIV viral load and CD4 count.


RESULTS
Serum leptin levels were significantly higher in patients with high CD4 counts than in patients with low CD4 counts (mean serum leptin level 47.3 vs. 10.9 ng/ml, respectively; p < 0.0001). A positive correlation was observed between serum leptin levels and CD4 counts (r = 0.697; p < 0.0001); positive correlations were also seen between leptin levels and fasting serum insulin and HOMA-IR (r = 0.633, p < 0.0001, and r = 0.537, p < 0.003, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
Serum leptin level was higher in HIV patients with high CD4 count and correlated with fasting serum insulin and HOMA-IR, thereby indicating that HAART treatment could lead to decreased levels of leptin in HIV patients, which might lead to impaired immunological recovery.
Department of Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig City, Egypt. medicine209@gmail.com
Mariam
M
Al-Fadhli
Mohammad
M
Saraya
Jafar
J
Qasem
Fawaz
F
Azizieh
Shahab
S
Shahab
Raj
R
Raghupathy
D000328:Adult; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; D015992:Body Mass Index; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D007333:Insulin Resistance / Q000276:immunology; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood; D019562:Viral Load
D007328:Insulin; D020738:Leptin; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha