CD4+ Cell Count, Lipid and Lipoprotein Levels in HIV Patients on Drug Treatment

Abstract

Background: Previous reports showed lack of consensus on the possible etiology of coronary artery disease (CAD) between HIV-treatment with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) and HIV-infection in particular. The aim of this study was to find out correlations of HIV-treatment and HIV-infection with CAD risk.

Method: One hundred and twenty (120) participants involving HIV-patients on treatment (n = 40), treatment-naïve (n =40) and equal number of age- and sex-matched controls were enrolled. The total cholesterol, triglycerides and lipoprotein (HDL-C) were analyzed using spectrophotometry. The LDL-C was calculated using Friedewald equation, TC/HDL-C and LDL-C/HDL-C ratios were also calculated. The CD4+ cell count was determined using flow cytometry.

Result: The mean plasma total cholesterol levels in patients’ groups on treatment and treatment-naïve were significantly reduced when compared with controls, but the mean triglyceride levels for both treatment and the treatment-naïve groups were significantly increased when compared with controls. However, HDL-C and LDL-C values for patients on HAART and the treatment-naive were significantly reduced when compared with controls respectively. The CAD risk predictors, LDL-c and TC/HDL-C ratio, were significantly increased in patients on HAART when compared with the treatment-naive.

The mean CD4+ cell count in treatment-naive was significantly lowered against both groups for treatment and controls.

Conclusion: In this present study, abnormal lipid profile was associated with both HIV-infection and HAART-treatment.

However, TC/HDL-C ratio, the strong predictor of CAD events in metabolic disorder was markedly high in HAARTtreatment and the associated difference may threaten higher risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) during treatment.

Keywords: Coronary Artery Disease; Dyslipidemia; Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy; Human Immunodeficiency

Virus.