Prediction of brain atrophy using three drug scores in neuroasymptomatic HIV-infected patients with controlled viremia

• Published in: The Brazilian journal of infectious diseases 2015-09, Vol.19 (5), p.503-509
• Main Authors: Novakovic, Marko, Turkulov, Vesna, Maric, Daniela, Kozic, Dusko, Rajkovic, Uros, Bjelan, Mladen, Lucic, Milos, Brkic, Snezana
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Anti-HIV Agents - therapeutic use; Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; Atrophy - pathology; Atrophy - virology; Brain - pathology; Brain - virology; Brain atrophy; Brain damage; CD4 Lymphocyte Count; Complications and side effects; CPE; Cross-Sectional Studies; Diagnosis; Drug therapy; Female; HAART; Health aspects; Highly active antiretroviral therapy; HIV; HIV Infections - drug therapy; HIV Infections - pathology; Humans; INFECTIOUS DISEASES; Male; Monocyte efficacy score; Original; Predictive Value of Tests; Prognosis; Risk factors; Viral Load; Viremia; Viremia - pathology; Viremia - virology
• ISSN: 1413-8670; 1678-4391; 1678-4391
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bjid.2015.07.002

Despite potent antiretroviral therapy, HIV still causes brain damage. Better penetration into the CNS and efficient elimination of monocyte/macrophages reservoirs are two main characteristics of an antiretroviral drug that could prevent brain damage. The aim of our study was to assess efficacy of three antiretroviral drug scores to predict brain atrophy in HIV-infected patients. A cross sectional study consisting of 56 HIV-infected patients with controlled viremia, who had no clinically evident neurocognitive impairment. All patients had MRI of the head. A typical T2 transversal slice was analyzed and ventricles–brain ratio (VBr) as an overall brain atrophy index was calculated. Three antiretroviral drug scores were used and correlated with VBr: 2008 and 2010 CNS penetration effectiveness scores (ΣCPE2008 and ΣCPE2010) and the recently established monocyte efficacy (ΣME) score. A p-value