Proinflammatory and cardiovascular biomarkers are associated with echocardiographic abnormalities in children with HIV taking antiretroviral therapy

OBJECTIVES

Children with perinatally acquired HIV (PHIV) and taking antiretroviral therapy (ART) have a high prevalence of subclinical cardiac disease. We hypothesized that cardiac disease may be a consequence of dysregulated systemic immune activation driven by HIV infection. We examined cardiovascular and proinflammatory biomarkers and their association with echocardiographic abnormalities in children with PHIV.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional analysis of soluble biomarkers from a prospective cohort of children aged 6-16 years with PHIV and age-matched HIV-uninfected comparison group.

METHODS

Cryopreserved plasma samples were used to measure seven soluble biomarkers using multiplex bead assay (Luminex). Multivariable logistic regression assessed how biomarker levels related to cardiac abnormalities.

RESULTS

A total of 406 children participated in this study (195 PHIV and 211 HIV-uninfected). Mean [standard deviation (SD)] ages of PHIV and HIV-uninfected participants were 10.7 (2.6) and 10.8 (2.8) years, respectively. Plasma levels of CRP, TNF-α, ST2, VCAM-1 and GDF-15 were significantly higher in the PHIV group compared with uninfected control ( P  < 0.001). Among children with PHIV, with one-unit representing one SD in biomarker level, a one-unit increase in CRP and GDF-15, was associated with increased odds of having left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction [adjusted odds ratio (aOR), 1.49 (1.02-2.18; P  < 0.040)] and [aOR 1.71 (1.18-2.53; P  = 0.006)], respectively. Each one unit increase in GDF-15 was associated with increased odds of LV hypertrophy [aOR 1.84 (95% CI 1.10-3.10; P  < 0.021)].

CONCLUSION

Children with PHIV had higher levels of proinflammatory and cardiovascular biomarkers compared with HIV-uninfected children. Increased CRP and GDF-15 were associated with cardiac abnormalities in children with PHIV.

Cardiac Abnormalities of People Living with HIV: A Comparative Study Between HAART Experience and Treatment Naïve Groups in Ghana

Purpose

This study determined electrocardiographic and echocardiographic abnormalities of people living with HIV (PLWHIV); comparing the findings of PLWHIV on HAART versus treatment naïve groups.

Patients and Methods

In a prospective cross-sectional study, we recruited 157 PLWHIV on Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) and 28 HAART naïve PLWHIV. Clinical examination, electrocardiography and echocardiography were performed on study participants at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi, Ghana. Sociodemographic data and information about the use of HAART or otherwise was obtained. The Chi and Fisher Exact tests were used to find the significance of difference in proportions of abnormalities between PLWHIV on HAART and treatment naïve groups. Statistical analyses were performed on SPSS version 25.0 and GraphPad Prism version 8.0. P-values less than 0.05 were considered to be statistically significant.

Results

Echocardiographic abnormalities in the HAART and treatment naïve groups were 54.1% and 60.7%, respectively. Electrographic abnormalities in the HAART and treatment naïve groups were 45.9% and 50%, respectively. Sinus bradycardia was the most prevalent ECG abnormality in the treatment naïve. Nonspecific T-wave changes (36.1%) and sinus tachycardia (30.6%) were the most common ECG abnormalities seen in HAART treated group. The common echocardiographic abnormalities were pulmonary hypertension (22.7%), pericardial effusion (22.2%) and left ventricular systolic dysfunction (17.8%). There was no significant difference in the proportions of echocardiographic abnormalities between PLWHIV on HAART and the treatment naïve groups (p > 0.05).

Conclusion

Cardiac abnormalities are common in PLWHIV regardless of treatment with HAART. Echocardiographic and electrographic assessments are highly recommended for all PLWHIV.

Echocardiographic abnormalities in children and adolescents living with human immunodeficiency virus on highly active antiretroviral treatment

BACKGROUND

The availability and use of highly active antiretroviral treatment (HAART) has turned human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) into a chronic disease, allowing patients to live much longer.

OBJECTIVES

To report asymptomatic cardiac abnormalities in children and adolescents based on both conventional and tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) echocardiography.

METHODS

One hundred and fifty-one patients on HAART were recruited. Demographic and clinical variables were collected through patient interviews and medical record reviews. Conventional echocardiography and TDI were performed on each patient.

RESULTS

Mean age was 13.0 ± 3.2 (4.0-19.0) years. Eightythree patients (55%) were female. Age at diagnosis of HIV infection was 5.7 ± 3.3 years. Age at initiation of HAART was 7.34 ± 3.54 years, while duration of HAART was 59 ± 39.1 months. On conventional echocardiography, three cases of left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction, two of pulmonary hypertension and one of minimal pericardial effusion were identified. Calculation of myocardial mass index (MMI) revealed that 16 patients had abnormal values. Twenty-seven (17.9%) patients had evidence of LV diastolic dysfunction and 18 (11.9%) had right ventricular (RV) diastolic dysfunction. Nineteen (12.6%) patients had tricuspid annular systolic velocity of < 9.5 cm/s, indicating asymptomatic RV systolic dysfunction.

CONCLUSIONS

While few patients had abnormalities such as reduced LV ejection fraction, pulmonary hypertension and minimal pericardial effusion detectable on conventional echocardiography, a larger proportion of patients had subtle abnormalities such as increased MMI, LV diastolic dysfunction on TDI, RV dysfunction and abnormal myocardial performance index. Such patients may need routine screening and cardiac follow up.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus-related changes in left ventricular structure and function in patients with chronic kidney disease

Type 2 Diabetes mellitus (DM) is the leading cause of chronic kidney disease (CKD) worldwide, and is associated with an increased risk of left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy, LV systolic and diastolic dysfunctions. The aim of this study was to investigate abnormal echocardiographic findings in patients with CKD with and without DM, and identify the factors associated with these abnormalities. We enrolled 356 pre-dialysis patients with CKD (stages 3-5), including 208 with DM and 148 without DM. The structure and systolic and diastolic functions of the left ventricle were assessed using echocardiography, and the clinical and echocardiographic parameters were analyzed. The patients with DM had higher rates of observed/predicted left ventricular mass > 128% (69.5% vs. 56.7%, p = 0.015), midwall fractional shortening < 14% (22.6% vs. 8.8%, p = 0.001), and ratio of peak early transmitral filling wave velocity to early diastolic velocity of lateral mitral annulus > 12 (32.7% vs. 16.2%, p < 0.001) than those without DM. Multivariate analysis showed that male sex, a history of smoking, high systolic blood pressure, high body mass index, high levels of fasting glucose and total cholesterol, low levels of albumin and hemoglobin, and a low estimated glomerular filtration rate were associated with abnormal echocardiographic findings. The rates of inappropriate left ventricular mass, systolic and diastolic dysfunction were higher in our patients with CKD and DM than in those without DM.