Effect of highly active antiretroviral therapy on homocysteine plasma concentrations in HIV-1-infected patients.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To analyze the effect of antiretroviral therapy on homocysteine levels in HIV-1-infected patients.

DESIGN:

Observational, prospective study of patients with AIDS.

METHODS:

We included patients with HIV-1 infection naive for antiretroviral drugs. Before and after 6 months of treatment, we evaluated fasting and postoral methionine load plasma homocysteine, serum vitamins B6 and B12, and intraerythrocyte folate levels.

RESULTS:

We studied 69 patients who began therapy for a 6-month period. Fasting and postoral methionine load plasma homocysteine levels increased significantly after 6 months of antiretroviral therapy with respect to basal values (P < 0.001). Fasting hyperhomocysteinemia was present in 7.3% of patients before treatment and in 89.9% after 6 months of therapy (P = 0.0001). Postoral methionine load hyperhomocysteinemia was found in 4.5% of subjects before therapy vs. 98.5% at the end of study period (P = 0.001). These results were not associated with folate or vitamins B6 or B12 levels.

CONCLUSIONS:

In patients with HIV-1 infection, fasting and postoral methionine load plasma homocysteine levels increased after 6 months of antiretroviral treatment. Nutritional abnormalities were not responsible for hyperhomocysteinemia, suggesting that enzymatic disturbances in the metabolic pathways of homocysteine may occur.

• Authors: Erika Coria-Ramirez, Leopoldo Nieto Cisneros, Sandra Treviño-Perez, Isabel Ibarra-Gonzalez, Jesus Casillas-Rodriguez, Abraham Majluf-Cruz
• Journal: Journal of acquired immune deficiency syndromes (1999) (J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr) Vol. 54 Issue 5 Pg. 477-81 (Aug 2010) ISSN: 1944-7884 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 20351558 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Anti-HIV Agents
• Homocysteine
• Vitamin B 6
• Folic Acid
• Vitamin B 12

Topics

• Adult
• Aged
• Anti-HIV Agents (adverse effects, therapeutic use)
• Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active (adverse effects)
• Erythrocytes (chemistry)
• Female
• Folic Acid (analysis)
• HIV Infections (complications, drug therapy, pathology, virology)
• HIV-1 (isolation & purification)
• Homocysteine (blood)
• Humans
• Male
• Metabolic Diseases (chemically induced)
• Middle Aged
• Plasma (chemistry)
• Prospective Studies
• Vitamin B 12 (blood)
• Vitamin B 6 (blood)