Lower Pretreatment Gut Integrity Is Independently Associated With Fat Gain on Antiretroviral Therapy

• Published in: Clinical infectious diseases 2019-04, Vol.68 (8), p.1394-1401
• Main Authors: El Kamari, Vanessa, Moser, Carlee, Hileman, Corrilynn O, Currier, Judith S, Brown, Todd T, Johnston, Liz, Hunt, Peter W, McComsey, Grace A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; and Commentaries; Anti-HIV Agents - adverse effects; Anti-HIV Agents - therapeutic use; Biomarkers; Body Composition - drug effects; Female; Gastrointestinal Microbiome - drug effects; HIV Infections - drug therapy; Humans; Male; Middle Aged
• ISSN: 1058-4838; 1537-6591; 1537-6591
• DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciy716

In a randomized antiretroviral therapy initiation trial, raltegravir, darunavir/ritonavir, and atazanavir/ritonavir demonstrated similar changes in gut epithelial and microbial translocation products. Lower baseline gut dysfunction was independently associated with increased body mass index and visceral adipose tissue over 96 weeks. Abstract Background Fat accumulation and insulin resistance remain a threat to the success of antiretroviral therapy (ART). The role of gut dysfunction in metabolic complications associated with ART initiation is unclear. Methods Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected ART-naive participants were randomized to tenofovir disoproxil fumarate/emtricitabine plus atazanavir/ritonavir, darunavir/ritonavir, or raltegravir (RAL). Changes in the gut integrity markers zonulin, lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP), and intestinal fatty acid and ileal bile acid binding proteins (I-FABP and I-BABP) were assessed over 96 weeks. Wilcoxon rank-sum tests were used to compare changes between groups and linear regression models to quantify associations between gut markers, insulin resistance, body mass index (BMI), and visceral, subcutaneous, and total adipose tissue (VAT, SAT, and TAT). Results : 90% were male and 48% were White non-Hispanic. The median age was 36 years, HIV-1 ribonucleic acid was 4.56 log10 copies/mL, and CD4 count was 338 cells/µL. An overall 1.7-fold increase in I-FABP was observed throughout 96 weeks, with no difference between arms. Zonulin levels increased with RAL compared to protease inhibitor–based regimens (week 96, P = .02); minimal changes in I-BABP or LBP levels were observed. Higher baseline I-FABP levels were associated with increases in VAT, TAT, and BMI (16%, 9%, and 2.5%, respectively; P < .04) over 96 weeks. Conclusions While ART induces changes in the markers of gut barrier dysfunction, the extent to which they improve or worsen the gut barrier function remains unclear. Nevertheless, markers of gut barrier dysfunction in ART-naive individuals predict increases in total and visceral abdominal fat with treatment initiation.