1. Liver Enzymes Elevation and Immune Reconstitution Among Treatment-Naïve HIV-Infected Patients Instituting Antiretroviral Therapy
- Author
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Chengxing Lu, Kirk A. Easley, Sarah E Smithson, Jeffrey L. Lennox, and Ighovwerha Ofotokun
- Subjects
Adult ,CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes ,Cyclopropanes ,Male ,Anti-HIV Agents ,HIV Infections ,digestive system ,Article ,Immune Reconstitution Inflammatory Syndrome ,Risk Factors ,Immunopathology ,medicine ,Humans ,Aspartate Aminotransferases ,Sida ,Retrospective Studies ,Hepatitis ,biology ,business.industry ,Stavudine ,virus diseases ,Alanine Transaminase ,General Medicine ,Middle Aged ,biochemical phenomena, metabolism, and nutrition ,Hepatitis B ,biology.organism_classification ,medicine.disease ,Hepatitis C ,Benzoxazines ,Nelfinavir ,Anti-Retroviral Agents ,Lamivudine ,Alkynes ,Multivariate Analysis ,embryonic structures ,Immunology ,Linear Models ,Coinfection ,Drug Therapy, Combination ,Female ,Liver function ,Viral disease ,business ,Zidovudine ,medicine.drug - Abstract
Objectives Because liver enzymes elevation (LEE) complicates antiretroviral (ARV) therapy, and because the strongest risk factor for ARV-related LEE is HBV/HCV coinfection, it is speculated that ARV-related LEE may be a form of immune reconstitution disease. This study summarizes the relation between immune reconstitution, ARV-induced LEE, and HBV/HCV coinfection. Methods Medical records of ARV-naive HIV-infected patients initiating ARV were reviewed for hepatitis coinfection, LEE (grade ≥2 AST/ALT) and changes in CD4 T-cell counts over time in an urban HIV clinic. Risk factors for LEE were statistically evaluated, and changes in CD4 T-cell counts were estimated by a mixed-effects linear model. Results Predictors of LEE included HBV/HCV coinfection (OR = 6.44) and stavudine use (OR = 2.33). Nelfinavir use was protective (OR = 0.45). The mean rate of change in CD4 T-cell counts was higher in HBV/HCV coinfected subjects who developed LEE (99 cells/ μ L per month) compared with non-coinfected subjects who did not develop LEE (59 cells/ μ L per month, P = 0.03), non-coinfected subjects who developed LEE (36 cells/ μ L per month, P = 0.01), and coinfected subjects who did not develop LEE, 38% higher (62 cells/ μ L per month; P = 0.11) Conclusions A more robust immune restoration was observed among HBV/HCV coinfected subjects who developed liver enzyme elevation after antiretroviral initiation compared with other groups. This finding suggests that ARV-related liver enzyme elevation may be related in part to immune reconstitution, as measured by changes in CD4 T-cell counts.
- Published
- 2007
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