Authors' Reply: association of HIV-infection and antiretroviral therapy with levels of endothelial progenitor cells and subclinical atherosclerosis

Neural effects of inflammation, cardiovascular disease, and HIV: Parallel, perpendicular, or progressive?

The pervasive reach of the inflammatory system is evidenced by its involvement in numerous disease states. Cardiovascular disease, marked by high levels of circulating inflammatory mediators, affects an estimated 83.6 million Americans. Similarly, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) produces a paradoxical state of generalized immune activity despite widespread immunosuppression, and affects 35 million people worldwide. Patients living with HIV (PLWH) suffer from inflammatory conditions, including cardiovascular disease (CVD), at a rate exceeding the general population. In this combined disease state, immune mechanisms that are common to both CVD and HIV may interact to generate a progressive condition that contributes to the exacerbated pathogenesis of the other to the net effect of damage to the brain. In this review, we will outline inflammatory cell mediators that promote cardiovascular risk factors and disease initiation and detail how HIV-related proteins may accelerate this process. Finally, we examine the extent to which these comorbid conditions act as parallel, perpendicular, or progressive sequela of events to generate a neurodegenerative environment, and consider potential strategies that can be implemented to reduce the burden of CVD and inflammation in PLWH.

Prevalence of ischemic heart disease and management of coronary risk in daily clinical practice: results from a Mediterranean cohort of HIV-infected patients

Background. There are conflicting data on the prevalence of coronary events and the quality of the management of modifiable cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF) in HIV-infected patients. Methods. We performed a retrospective descriptive study to determine the prevalence of coronary events and to evaluate the management of CVRF in a Mediterranean cohort of 3760 HIV-1-infected patients from April 1983 through June 2011. Results. We identified 81 patients with a history of a coronary event (prevalence 2.15%); 83% of them suffered an acute myocardial infarction. At the time of the coronary event, CVRF were highly prevalent (60.5% hypertension, 48% dyslipidemia, and 16% diabetes mellitus). Other CVRF, such as smoking, hypertension, lack of exercise, and body mass index, were not routinely assessed. After the coronary event, a significant decrease in total cholesterol (P = 0.025) and LDL-cholesterol (P = 0.004) was observed. However, the percentage of patients who maintained LDL-cholesterol > 100 mg/dL remained stable (from 46% to 41%, P = 0.103). Patients using protease inhibitors associated with a favorable lipid profile increased over time (P = 0.028). Conclusions. The prevalence of coronary events in our cohort is low. CVRF prevalence is high and their management is far from optimal. More aggressive interventions should be implemented to diminish cardiovascular risk in HIV-infected patients.