Authors: Iacobellis, Gianluca; Sharma, Arya M.; Pellicelli, Adriano M.; Grisorio, Benvenuto; Barbarini, Giorgio; Barbaro, Giuseppe

Source: Current HIV Research, Volume 5, Number 2, March 2007 , pp. 275-279(5)

Publisher: Bentham Science Publishers

Abstract:

Background: High cardiovascular risk and accelerated atherosclerosis are associated with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Recently, the use of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) for the treatment of HIV infection is correlated with the development of HAART-associated metabolic syndrome and lipodystrophy (LDS). Detection of epicardial fat thickness, new index of visceral adiposity in non HIV-infected patients, might be important as diagnostic tool in HIV-infected patients on HAART.

Objective: Primary objective of this study was to evaluate whether echocardiographic epicardial adipose tissue is related to visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and Carotid Intima-Media Thickness (IMT), index of atherosclerosis in HIV-infected patients on HAART with LDS

Design: We studied 60 consecutive HIV-infected HIV-infected subjects on HAART without LDS.

Main Outcomes Measures: Epicardial fat thickness and IMT were measured by ultrasonography in both study and control groups. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to calculate VAT in HIV-infected subjects on HAART with LDS.

Results: Epicardial adipose tissue thickness showed an excellent correlation with MRI-VAT (r=0.85; P<0.001) and IMT (r=0.78;P<0.001) in HIV-infected patients on HAART-with LDS. Multiple regression analysis showed that epicardial fat thickness was best predicted by MRI-VAT and IMT (R2=0.57, p<0.001 and p<0.01, respectively). HIV-infected patients with HAART-associated metabolic syndrome and LDS showed higher epicardial fat thickness and IMT (8 vs 6.5 mm; 0.71 vs 0.66 mm, respectively, p<0.01 for both) than HIV-infected subjects on HAART without LDS. Conclusion: Echocardiographic assessment of epicardial fat may have the potential to be a simple and reliable marker of visceral adiposity and increased cardiovascular risk in HIV-infected patients with HAART-associated metabolic syndrome and LDS.

Keywords: HIV; highly active antiretroviral therapy; metabolic syndrome; epicardial adipose tissue; cardiovascular risk; atherosclerosis

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2174/157016207780077084

Affiliations: 1: Department of Medicine, St.Joseph's Healthcare, Fontbonne Building 5th floor, 50 Charlton Avenue East, Hamilton, ON, Canada L8N 4A6.

Publication date: 2007-03-01

More about this publication?

• Current HIV Research aims to cover all the latest and outstanding developments of HIV research. We invite comprehensive review articles and novel, pioneering work in the basic and clinical fields on all areas of HIV research, including virus replication and gene expression, HIV assembly, virus-cell interaction, viral pathogenesis, epidemiology and transmission, anti-retroviral therapy and adherence, drug discovery, the latest developments in HIV/AIDS vaccines and animal models, mechanisms and interactions with AIDS related diseases, social and public health issues related to HIV disease, and prevention of viral infection. Each issue of the journal contains a series of timely in-depth reviews and original research written by leaders in the field covering a range of current topics on HIV research. Periodically, the journal will invite guest editors to devote an issue on a particular area of HIV research of great interest that increases our understanding of the virus and its complex interaction with the host.

Related content

• In this: publication
• By this: publisher
• In this Subject: Medicine (General) ,  Public Health
• By this author: Iacobellis, Gianluca ;  Sharma, Arya M. ;  Pellicelli, Adriano M. ;  Grisorio, Benvenuto ;  Barbarini, Giorgio ;  Barbaro, Giuseppe

Website © Publishing Technology. Article copyright remains with the publisher, society or author(s) as specified within the article.

• Terms and conditions
• Privacy policy
• Information for advertisers