Abstract

CARDIAC TROPONIN AND CREATINE KINASE IN HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS INFECTED PATIENTS ON ANTIRETROVIRAL DRUGS

Dosunmu Adedoyin Owolabi*, Soyinka Oluwatosin O., Onakoya Josephine Adebola Aramide, Arogundade Musibau Olanrewaju, Ebele Uche and Ogundare Funke

Abstract

People living with HIV are living a longer and productive life due to the effective viral suppression by highly active anti retroviral therapy (HAART). They are therefore exposed to metabolic syndromes associated with aging and lifestyle. This study was therefore designed to access the contribution of HAART to cardiovascular diseases in HIV patients. Patients on HAART were randomly selected (100) from the study population. Age and sex matched controls were treatment naïve HIV positive patients (50) and blood donors (50). Fasting blood samples were taken for cardiac troponin, cardiac creatine kinase, glucose and lipid profile. The fasting blood glucose was significantly higher in HIV patients (p < 0.0001) than in HIV negative blood donors. The lipid profile showed that triglycerides (TG) and very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) were significantly higher in HIV patients while the total cholesterol (TC) and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) were lower compared to blood donors. The introduction of HAART increased the low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) and TC but reduced the HDL further. There were no significant differences in the levels of troponin 1 and creatine kinase among the groups. There was tendency to reduced insulin sensitivity with raised levels of triglyceride and VLDL but low HDL. Therefore cardiovascular risk factors exist though the cardiac markers were not significantly increased in this study. People living with HIV should be counseled to avoid cardiovascular risk factors and to have these parameters monitored regularly.

Keywords: Human immunodeficiency virus, dyslipidemia, insulin sensitivity, cardiovascular disease.