AEGiS-14IAC: Prevaleat Study (Premature Vascular Lesions and Antiretroviral Therapy). A color-doppler ultrasonographic comparative study between patients treated with PI-including regimens vs NNRTI-including regimens.

14th International AIDS Conference

Barcelona, Spain - July 7-12, 2002

Prevaleat Study (Premature Vascular Lesions and Antiretroviral Therapy). A color-doppler ultrasonographic comparative study between patients treated with PI-including regimens vs NNRTI-including regimens.

Int Conf AIDS 2002 Jul 7-12; 14:(abstract no. LbPeB9019)

Maggi P, Fiorentino G, Epifani G, Perilli F, Lillo A, Ladisa N, Ferraro S, Gargiulo M, Chirianni A, Regina G, Pastore G
Institute of Infectious Diseases - University of Bari, Bari, Italy

BACKGROUND: Several reports have indicated that HIV-positive patients seem to have an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, although the role of treatment with PI remains a controversial issue. Color doppler ultrasonographic study of the epiaortic vessels is a safe and sensitive technique capable to detect initial lesions of the vascular wall. In the present study, in order to obtain a more specific correlation between antiretroviral therapy and lesions of the carotid vessels, we have compared PI-treated patients (group A) with PI-naïve patients treated with a regimen including NNRTI(group B) and with patients treated with two NRTI or naïve to antiretroviral therapy (group C)

METHODS: Group A included 92 patients, group B 55 patients, group C 60 patients. All treated patients had treatment for at least 12 months and were evaluated for familial history of cardiovascular disease, sedentary life, cigarette smoking, alcohol abuse, active drug addiction and values for fasting glycemia, cholesterolemia and triglyceridemia. Intima characteristics, pulsation and resistance indexes, minimal, peak and mean speed were evaluated using an AU5 ESAOTE color power doppler. Atherosclerotic plaques were described.

RESULTS: In group A 53 patients (57.6%) showed acquired lesions of the vascular wall, whereas similar lesions were found in only 7 patients (12.7%) in group B. In group C, nine cases (15%) of acquired lesions were evidenced. At statistical analysis, cigarette smoking, hypertriglyceridemia and CDC stage significantly increased the risk of vascular lesions. However, the highest significance regarded use of PI.

CONCLUSIONS: These data in our ongoing study show an higher prevalence of acquired carotid lesions even when compared with patients treated with NNRTI-including regimens. No statistical difference resulted when this latter group was compared with patients naïve or treated with two NRTI.

Keywords: AEGIS, HIV Infections, Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active, Prevalence, Drug Therapy, Combination, HIV Seropositivity, Arteriosclerosis, Human, therapy, drug therapy

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LbPeB9019