Influence of folate serum concentration on plasma homocysteine levels in HIV-positive patients exposed to protease inhibitors undergoing HAART

• Published in: Annals of nutrition and metabolism 2006-01, Vol.50 (3), p.247-252
• Main Authors: Uccelli, Maria Cristina, Torti, Carlo, Lapadula, Giuseppe, Labate, Lorena, Cologni, Giuliana, Tirelli, Valeria, Moretti, Francesca, Costarelli, Silvia, Quiros-Roldan, Eugenia, Carosi, Giampiero
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: acquired immunodeficiency syndrome; Adult; Anti-HIV Agents - adverse effects; Anti-HIV Agents - therapeutic use; Antiretroviral agents; Antiretroviral drugs; Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active - adverse effects; antiviral agents; Biological and medical sciences; blood serum; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dietary supplements; Drug therapy; Female; folic acid; Folic Acid - blood; highly active antiretroviral therapy; HIV; HIV Infections - blood; HIV Infections - drug therapy; homocysteine; Homocysteine - blood; Human immunodeficiency virus; Human viral diseases; Humans; Hyperhomocysteinemia - blood; Hyperhomocysteinemia - epidemiology; Immunodeficiencies; Immunodeficiencies. Immunoglobulinopathies; Immunopathology; Infectious diseases; Logistic Models; Male; Medical sciences; Metabolic diseases; nutrient availability; Nutrition; Original Paper; patients; Predictive Value of Tests; Protease inhibitors; Protease Inhibitors - adverse effects; Protease Inhibitors - therapeutic use; Proteinase inhibitors; Regression analysis; retroviral vectors; Risk Factors; Time Factors; Viral diseases; Viral diseases of the lymphoid tissue and the blood. Aids; Vitamin B; vitamin B12; Vitamin deficiency; vitamin supplements
• ISSN: 0250-6807; 1421-9697
• DOI: 10.1159/000091682

Background: Homocysteinemia (Hcy) increase and risk factors in HIV-positive patients are not clear yet. Methods: HIV-positive patients on stable highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) regimens for at least 6 months were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Among other factors, vitamin B12, folate and length of exposure to protease inhibitors (PIs) were evaluated for their possible correlation with hyper-Hcy (>13 micromol/l in females; >15 micromol/l in males) by logistic regression analysis. Results: Ninety-eight HIV-positive patients were recruited. Twenty-eight (28.6%) had hyper-Hcy. Length of exposure to antiretroviral therapy and PIs did not result to be significantly associated with hyper-Hcy risk. Normal folate level was the only factor associated with the outcome, resulting protective from hyper-Hcy, either at univariate (OR = 0.22; CI 95% = 0.06-0.86; p = 0.029) and multivariable (OR = 0.24; CI 95% = 0.06-0.94; p = 0.04) logistic regression analysis. Folate predictive value of hyper-Hcy risk was driven by levels in the lowest quartiles of the study population (i.e.