Asymptomatic atherosclerosis in HIV-positive patients: A case-control ultrasound study.

Atherosclerosis has been reported in some HIV-positive subjects without any known risk factor. The purpose of the present study was to investigate cervical arteries, abdominal aorta and femoral arteries by B-mode ultrasonography and doppler in 30 HIV-positive subjects matched to 18 controls for sex, age, tobacco consumption and arterial hypertension. Although no haemodynamically or clinically relevant lesions were found, plaques occurred more often in patients than in controls (11 patients, 36.7% vs. 2, 11.1%; P = 0.05). Compared to the HIV-positive patients without plaques, those with plaques had a tendency to have decreased lower HDL cholesterol, higher tobacco consumption and lower CD4-cell count (77 +/- 85/mm3 vs. 220 +/- 202/mm3). The patients with plaques (but not those without plaques) had lower HDL cholesterol than controls (P = 0.03). Asymptomatic atherosclerosis seems to be more frequent in HIV-positive patients and is associated to lower HDL cholesterol.

[1]  C. Sergeant,et al.  Plasma lipids in HIV‐infected patients: a prospective study in 95 patients , 1994, European journal of clinical investigation.

[2]  A. Folsom,et al.  Past infection by Chlamydia pneumoniae strain TWAR and asymptomatic carotid atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study Investigators. , 1993, The American journal of medicine.

[3]  J. Pellegrin,et al.  High plasma lipoprotein (a) in HIV-positive patients , 1993, The Lancet.

[4]  John W. Ward,et al.  1993 revised classification system for HIV infection and expanded surveillance case definition for AIDS among adolescents and adults. , 1993, MMWR. Recommendations and reports : Morbidity and mortality weekly report. Recommendations and reports.

[5]  P. Bruneval,et al.  Atheroembolism in HIV-positive individuals , 1992, The Lancet.

[6]  I. Mercier,et al.  Coronary lesions in young HIV-positive subjects at necropsy , 1992, The Lancet.

[7]  K. Feingold,et al.  Lipids, lipoproteins, triglyceride clearance, and cytokines in human immunodeficiency virus infection and the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. , 1992, The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism.

[8]  C. Tamalet,et al.  Endothelial cell dysfunction in HIV infection. , 1992, Journal of acquired immune deficiency syndromes.

[9]  O. Sharma,et al.  Anticardiolipin antibodies in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. , 1989, Archives of internal medicine.

[10]  J. Melnick,et al.  Association of herpesvirus/cytomegalovirus infections with human atherosclerosis. , 1988, Progress in medical virology. Fortschritte der medizinischen Virusforschung. Progres en virologie medicale.