RANKL/OPG/TRAIL plasma levels and bone mass loss evaluation in antiretroviral naive HIV-1-positive men

• Published in: Journal of medical virology 2007-10, Vol.79 (10), p.1446-1454
• Main Authors: Gibellini, Davide, Borderi, Marco, De Crignis, Elisa, Cicola, Ronny, Vescini, Fabio, Caudarella, Renata, Chiodo, Francesco, Re, Maria Carla
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Absorptiometry, Photon; Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Bone and Bones - metabolism; Bone Density; Bone Diseases, Metabolic - diagnosis; Bone Diseases, Metabolic - etiology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; HIV Seropositivity - blood; HIV Seropositivity - complications; HIV-1; HIV-1 - genetics; HIV-1 - isolation & purification; Human immunodeficiency virus 1; Human viral diseases; Humans; Infectious diseases; Male; Medical sciences; Microbiology; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; OPG; osteopenia; Osteoporosis - diagnosis; Osteoporosis - etiology; Osteoprotegerin - blood; RANK Ligand - blood; RANKL; TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand - blood; TRAIL; Viral diseases; Viral Load; Virology
• ISSN: 0146-6615; 1096-9071
• DOI: 10.1002/jmv.20938

Osteopenia and osteoporosis are common in HIV-1-infected individuals and represent a challenge in clinical and therapeutic management. This report investigated osteopenia/osteoporosis in a group of 31 antiretroviral naive HIV-1-positive men and the role of specific molecules belonging to TNF and the TNF-receptor family in HIV-1-related bone mass loss. Osteoprotegerin (OPG), the receptor activator of NF-κb-ligand (RANKL), and the TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) were significantly increased in the plasma of antiretroviral naive HIV-1-positive patients compared to a control group of healthy blood donors. In addition, TRAIL and RANKL plasma concentrations were positively correlated to HIV-1-RNA viral load. Measurement of bone mineral density in 20 out of 31 HIV-1-positive subjects disclosed osteopenia/osteoporosis in 40% of these patients. The antiretroviral naive HIV-1-positive subjects with low bone mineral density had a decreased plasma OPG/RANKL ratio and a plasma RANKL concentration >500 pg/ml. Together, these data indicate that plasma concentrations of specific factors involved in bone homeostasis were increased during HIV-1 infection and that RANKL and OPG/RANKL ratio deregulation may be involved in osteopenia/osteoporosis occurring in antiretroviral naive HIV-1 individuals. J. Med. Virol. 79:1446-1454, 2007. © Wiley-Liss, Inc.