title: Serum adipokines and HIV viral replication in patients undergoing antiretroviral therapy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Several studies have reported that cytokines secreted by adipose tissue (adipokines) may be linked to HIV replication. The aim of the study was to evaluate the relationship between HIV replication and serum levels of adipokines, in a Caucasian HIV-infected population of men and women undergoing complex antiretroviral therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was conducted in an unselected sample of 77 HIV-1-positive patients. Serum adipokines levels were measured including circulating adiponectin, leptin, resistin, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-6 (IL-6). Patients were divided into two groups: Group 1 - with undetectable viral load and Group 2 - with persistent HIV viral replication. Differences between groups ? were tested using independent-sample t-test for Gaussian variables and Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon test for non-parametric variables. Pearson's chi-squared test was used for correlation analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 77 patients (age range: 17-65, mean: 32.5 years) including 44 men (57.1% men, age range: 17-63 years, mean: 34.1 years) and 33 women (42.9% women age range: 19-65 years, mean: 30.3 years) were included in the study. TNF-alpha had significantly higher serum levels in patients with detectable viral load (16.89 vs. 9.35 pg/mL), (p=0.043), but correlation analysis lacked statistical significance. Adiponectin had median serum levels of 9.22 ìg/mL in Group 1 vs. 16.50 ìg/mL in Group 2 but the results lacked statistical significance (p=0.059). Higher leptin, IL-6 and resistin serum levels were noted in patients with undetectable HIV viral load, without statistical significance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study reported higher TNF-alpha serum levels in patients with persistent HIV viral load. We found no statistically significant correlations between adiponectin, leptin, resistin and IL-6 and HIV viral load in our Caucasian HIV-positive study population, undergoing antiretroviral therapy.
authors.affiliation: MD, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Infectious Diseases, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania, National Institute for Infectious Diseases 'Prof. Dr. Matei Balş', Romania.
authors.forename: Victoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Aramă
authors.affiliation: Assistant Lecturer, Department of Physiopathology and Immunology, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania.
authors.forename: Cătălin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tilişcan
authors.affiliation: Professor, Department of Physiopathology II, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania.
authors.forename: Daniela Adriana
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Ion
authors.affiliation: Researcher, National Institute for Infectious Diseases 'Prof. Dr. Matei Balş', Romania.
authors.forename: Raluca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mihăilescu
authors.affiliation: Researcher, National Institute for Infectious Diseases 'Prof. Dr. Matei Balş', Romania.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Munteanu
authors.affiliation: MD, PhD, Lecturer, Department of Infectious Diseases, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania, National Institute for Infectious Diseases 'Prof. Dr. Matei Balş', Romania.
authors.forename: Anca
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Streinu-Cercel
authors.affiliation: MD, PhD, Lecturer, Department of Infectious Diseases, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania, National Institute for Infectious Diseases 'Prof. Dr. Matei Balş', Romania; MD, PhD.
authors.forename: Ana Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Tudor
authors.affiliation: Lecturer, Department of Infectious Diseases, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania, National Institute for Infectious Diseases 'Prof. Dr. Matei Balş', Romania.
authors.forename: Adriana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hristea
authors.affiliation: Biochemist, National Institute for Infectious Diseases 'Prof. Dr. Matei Balş', Romania.
authors.forename: Viorica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Leoveanu
authors.affiliation: MD, National Institute for Infectious Diseases 'Prof. Dr. Matei Balş', Romania.
authors.forename: Ioana
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Olaru
authors.affiliation: MD, PhD, Professor, Department of Physiopathology and Immunology, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania.
authors.forename: Stefan Sorin
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Aramă
keywords: Adipokines; HIV; TNF-alpha; adiponectin; leptin; resistin