title: Variable endothelial cell function restoration after initiation of two antiretroviral regimens in HIV-infected individuals.
abstract: The effect of ART on endothelial cell function is incompletely characterized.
  
  
  
  We performed a 24 week prospective, case-control and comparative pilot study of ART-naive HIV-infected patients who started a darunavir- or rilpivirine-based regimen, matched with non-HIV-infected volunteers, to compare changes at week 24 from baseline in levels of circulating endothelial cells (CECs), endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) and circulating angiogenic cells, as well as changes in immune-activation markers.
  
  
  
  The study population comprised 24 HIV-infected patients and 24 non-infected volunteers. Both HIV groups completely suppressed viraemia. HIV-infected patients had higher levels of activation markers than the control group in CD8 T cells at baseline; these decreased after 24 weeks of treatment, but without reaching the levels of the control group. No statistical differences in immune activation were seen between the darunavir and rilpivirine groups. Levels of CECs were higher and levels of EPCs and circulating angiogenic cells were lower in HIV-infected patients than in the control group, although these parameters were similar between the darunavir group and the control group, but not the rilpivirine group, at week 24. An unfavourable association was observed between rilpivirine, age and increased number of CECs.
  
  
  
  Restoration of circulating levels of EPCs and CECs in darunavir-treated patients was greater than in those treated with rilpivirine, suggesting ongoing endothelial repair mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: Lluita contra la Sida Foundation, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain.|Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Catalonia 08916, Spain.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Echeverría
authors.affiliation: AIDS Research Institute-IRSICAIXA, Institut Germans Trias I Pujol (IGTP), Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona 08916, Spain.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gómez-Mora
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Roura
authors.affiliation: Lluita contra la Sida Foundation, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain.|Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Catalonia 08916, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bonjoch
authors.affiliation: Lluita contra la Sida Foundation, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain.|Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Catalonia 08916, Spain.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Puig
authors.affiliation: Lluita contra la Sida Foundation, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain.|Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Catalonia 08916, Spain.|Statistics and Operations Research, Technical University of Catalunya, Barcelona 08020, Spain.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pérez-Alvarez
authors.affiliation: Servei de Cardiologia, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona 08916, Spain.|Departament de Medicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona 08020, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bayés-Genís
authors.affiliation: Universitat de Vic - Universidad Central de Catalunya UVIC-UCC, Vic 08500, Spain.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Clotet
authors.affiliation: AIDS Research Institute-IRSICAIXA, Institut Germans Trias I Pujol (IGTP), Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona 08916, Spain.|Universitat de Vic - Universidad Central de Catalunya UVIC-UCC, Vic 08500, Spain.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Blanco
authors.affiliation: Lluita contra la Sida Foundation, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain.|Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Catalonia 08916, Spain.|Universitat de Vic - Universidad Central de Catalunya UVIC-UCC, Vic 08500, Spain.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Negredo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D000069454:Darunavir / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018894:Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000068696:Rilpivirine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019562:Viral Load / Q000187:drug effects; D014766:Viremia / Q000188:drug therapy
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D018894:Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors; D000068696:Rilpivirine; D000069454:Darunavir