Nathalia Sernizon Guimarães

Vitamin D receptor expression and hepcidin levels in the protection or severity of leprosy: a systematic review

Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease whose disequilibrium in the hosts genetic, immunological and clinical mechanisms leads to distinct manifestations defining the type of immunological response. This review focuses its attention on the influence of the Vitamin D Receptor and hepcidin expressions that can suggest the protection or severity of leprosy.

Prevalence of low bone mass and changes in vitamin D levels in human immunodeficiency virus-infected adults unexposed to antiretrovirals

INTRODUCTION The prevalence of low bone mass is 3 times higher in people living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLWH) and using antiretrovirals than in the HIV-unaffected population. Changes in vitamin D levels is one of the factors associated with decreased bone mass. The objective of this study is to evaluate the low bone mass and altered vitamin D levels in PLWH who have not been exposed to antiretrovirals. METHODS A cross-sectional study was carried out with HIV-infected individuals between the ages of 18 and 55 years immediately prior to the start of antiretroviral therapy in a specialized reference center focusing on infectious and parasitic diseases. Results of clinical examination (patients weight, height, blood pressure, and clinical history), laboratory tests, and X-ray absorptiometry, were collected. RESULTS Sixty patients were included, with a mean age of 34 years. Nine (16.7%) patients presented with low bone mass and 4 (7.1%) patients showed low total femur BMD. Analysis revealed that 23.3% and 36.7% of the patients had deficient and insufficient levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Our study population presented with compromised bone health and with low bone mineral density and 25-(OH)-vitamin D levels.

Evaluation of inflammatory biomarkers, carotid intima-media thickness and cardiovascular risk in HIV-1 treatment-naive patients

INTRODUCTION Mortality among HIV patients is 3-15 times higher than that among the general population. Currently, most deaths are due to non-infectious diseases. Chronic inflammation and adverse events due to antiretroviral therapy play crucial roles in increasing cardiovascular risk (CVR). METHODS This cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and inflammatory biomarkers (D-dimer, ADAMTS13, GDF-15, sICAM-1, MPO, myoglobin, NGAL, SAA, sVCAM-1, and p-selectin) among naïve patients. RESULTS Sixty-seven participants were included: median age, 32 years; males, 82.1%; non-white, 61.1%; higher education level, 62.7%; and exposed to HIV through sexual relationship (men who have sex with men), 68.7%. The median viral load and LTCD4+ value were 42,033 copies/mL and 426 cells/mm³. The prevalence of arterial hypertension was 16.4%; those of diabetes mellitus and dyslipidemia were 3% and 70.1%, respectively. The CIMT was 494.08 (± 96.84mm). The mean vascular age was 33.2 ± 18.9 years, one year longer than the chronological age, without statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS The majority of participants had a low CVR (94%). After reclassification, considering the CIMT percentiles, 13 (19.4%) patients had medium/ high CVR, while 54 (80.6%) patients had low CVR. The difference between the proportions of CVR when considering the CIMT and its corresponding percentile was statistically relevant. Body mass index was the only predictor of higher CVR (p = 0.03). No biomarker was found to predict CVR. People living with HIV have a high prevalence of dyslipidemia before ARV therapy.

Lipid accumulation product index in HIV-infected patients: a marker of cardiovascular risk

The lipid accumulation product (LAP) index is an emerging cardiovascular risk marker. We aimed to assess the accuracy of this index as a marker of cardiovascular risk in HIV-infected patients. A cross-sectional study of 133 HIV-infected patients on antiretroviral drugs and 20 non-infected controls was conducted at the outpatient clinic of a referral center of infectious and parasitic diseases. Evaluations included LAP index, homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) index, anthropometric measurements, blood pressure, glucose tolerance test, and cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Body mass index (BMI) was similar in both groups; however, waist circumference was greater in the HIV-infected patients. Triglyceride levels were significantly higher (p<0.001) and HDL cholesterol levels were lower in HIV-infected patients (p<0.001). Plasma glucose (p=0.01) and insulin (p=0.005) levels two hours after a glucose load, HOMA-IR index (p<0.001) and LAP index (p<0.001) were higher in the HIV-infected patients. A positive and significant correlation was found between HOMA-IR index and LAP (r=0.615; p<0.01), BMI (r=0.334; p<0.01) and waist circumference (r=0.452; p<0.01) in the HIV-infected patients. In male HIV-infected patients and controls, ROC curve analyses revealed that the best cut-off value of LAP to define the presence of insulin resistance was 64.8 (sensitivity 86%, specificity 77% and area under the curve 0.824). These results confirm that insulin resistance is more common in HIV-patients on antiretroviral drugs than in HIV-negative controls. A positive and significant correlation was found between the LAP index and the HOMA index, with LAP≥64.8 constituting an additional risk factor for cardiovascular disease in male HIV patients.

Metabolic changes and estimating cardiovascular risk of people living with HIV/AIDS twelve months after the start of HAART

A incidência de doenças cardiovasculares (DCV) chega a ser duas vezes maior em pessoas vivendo com HIV/AIDS (PVHA) devido aos danos pró-inflamatório causado pelo vírus e efeitos tóxicos de antirretrovirais incluindo as dislipidemias. O objetivo deste trabalho foi acompanhar o risco de DCV e marcadores metabólicos em PVHA. Trata-se de estudo longitudinal realizado antes e após 12 meses de inicio de antirretrovirais. Coletou-se variáveis socioeconômicas, clínicas, antropométricas e laboratoriais, e calculou-se escores de Framingham e PROCAM. Utilizaram-se os testes de Wilcoxon, T-Student e Qui-Quadrado na comparação das variáveis. A amostra basal deste estudo foi composta por 91 PVHA. Desses, 85% eram homens com mediana de idade igual a 31 anos e 94,5% declararam não ter história pregressa de dislipidemias. Foi observado aumento nos níveis de colesterol total (p0,05). Portanto, para a definição de risco real de DCV nesta população temos que considerar a inclusão de outras variáveis como alguns biomarcadores e, ainda, a mensuração ultrassonográfica da camada íntima carotídeas. Sendo assim, o cuidado compartilhado com outras áreas da saúde como nutricionistas e educadores físicos visando estimular a mudança de estilo de vida, pode qualificar o acompanhamento de PVHA reduzindo a incidência de eventos não infecciosos. Palavras-chave: Alterações Metabólicas, Doenças Cardiovasculares, HIV, AIDS RESUMO Revista Médica de Minas Ge ais

¿Puede la antropometría medir la grasa corporal de las personas que viven con el VIH/SIDA?: revisión sistemática

Introduction: Assessment of the quantity and distribution of body fat in people living with HIV/AIDS is of great importance in clinical practice, due to the association of body fat changes with clinical conditions. The aim of this systematic review was to answer the central question: Can anthropometry accurately measure the body fat in people living with HIV/AIDS? Material and Methods: Systematic review carried out using four databases: Medline, LILACS, Scopus and BDTD. Results: Of the 581 studies found, 11 met the eligibility criteria. To assess the validate of anthropometry, only two studies employed regress analysis to development of predictive body fat equations in people living with HIV/AIDS and nine studies employed correlation analysis. This coefficient only measures the strength of the relation between two variables, and there is not concordance between them and therefore, these studies did not accurately evaluate whether or not the anthropometric information showed good concordance with the gold standard. The other two studies developed five equations to evaluate the total fat and limbs (arm, leg and trunk) in people living with HIV/AIDS using antiretrovirals and showed R2 between 0.50 and 0.83. Conclusions: Further research needs to be conducted to answer the central question of this review, as the small number of articles that applied the correct statistical test and the absence of research on people living with HIV/AIDS without the use of antiretrovirals. KEYWORDS

Metabolic disorders and cardiovascular risk in people living with HIV/AIDS without the use of antiretroviral therapy

INTRODUCTION Metabolic disorders in people living with HIV/AIDS (PLH) have been described even before the introduction of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs in the treatment of HIV infection and are risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. Based on this, the purpose of this study was to assess metabolic disorders and cardiovascular risk in PLH before the initiation of antiretroviral treatment (ART). METHODS This was a cross-sectional descriptive study of 87 PLH without the use of ART, which was carried out between January and September 2012 at a specialized infectious diseases center in Minas Gerais, Brazil. RESULTS The main metabolic disorders in the population were low serum levels of HDL-cholesterol, hypertriglyceridemia and abdominal obesity. Dyslipidemia was prevalent in 62.6% of the study population, whereas metabolic syndrome (MS) was prevalent in 11.5% of patients assessed by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria and 10.8% assessed by the National Cholesterol Education Program-Adult Treatment Panel (NCEP-ATPIII) criteria. Regarding cardiovascular risk, 89.7% of the population presented a low coronary risk according to the Framingham Risk Score. A greater proportion of patients diagnosed with MS presented low cardiovascular risk (80% assessed by IDF criteria and 77.8% assessed by NCEP-ATPIII criteria). CONCLUSIONS Metabolic disorders in this population may be due to HIV infection or lifestyle (smoking, sedentary lifestyle and inadequate diet). The introduction of ART can enhance dyslipidemia, increasing cardiovascular risk, especially among those who have classic risks of cardiovascular disease.

Prevalence and reasons for refusal to participate in clinical research

The information provided regarding the prevalence and reasons why volunteers refuse to participate in scientific research is sparse. This article aims to describe the prevalence and reasons for refusing to voluntarily participate in the cohort study whose objective is to evaluate morbidity and mortality amongst people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA), through a cross-sectional study conducted at the Centro de Treinamento e Referência em Doenças Infecciosas e Parasitárias (Training and Referral Center for Infectious and Parasitic Diseases). The following information was obtained: origin, date of birth, age, gender, and reason for not consenting, when applicable. The lack of time to devote to the research was the main reason given (63%), followed by fear of lack of confidentiality (17%). There was no statistical difference among those who accepted or not to participate in terms of gender, age or origin of the service. The percentage of PLWHA who refused to participate in the study (40.7%) and lack of time available for their participation (63%) were considered high.Prevalence and reasons for refusal to particate in clinical research The information provided regarding the prevalence and reasons why volunteers refuse to participate in scientific research is sparse. This article aims to describe the prevalence and reasons for refusing to voluntarily participate in the cohort study whose objective is to evaluate morbidity and mortality amongst people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA), through a cross-sectional study conducted at the Centro de Treinamento e Referência em Doenças Infecciosas e Parasitárias (Training and Referral Center for Infectious and Parasitic Diseases). The following information was obtained: origin, date of birth, age, gender, and reason for not consenting, when applicable. The lack of time to devote to the research was the main reason given (63%), followed by fear of lack of confidentiality (17%). There was no statistical difference among those who accepted or not to participate in terms of gender, age or origin of the service. The percentage of PLWHA who refused to participate in the study (40.7%) and lack of time available for their participation (63%) were considered high.

Prevalencia y motivos de la negación a participar en investigaciones clínicas

The information provided regarding the prevalence and reasons why volunteers refuse to participate in scientific research is sparse. This article aims to describe the prevalence and reasons for refusing to voluntarily participate in the cohort study whose objective is to evaluate morbidity and mortality amongst people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA), through a cross-sectional study conducted at the Centro de Treinamento e Referência em Doenças Infecciosas e Parasitárias (Training and Referral Center for Infectious and Parasitic Diseases). The following information was obtained: origin, date of birth, age, gender, and reason for not consenting, when applicable. The lack of time to devote to the research was the main reason given (63%), followed by fear of lack of confidentiality (17%). There was no statistical difference among those who accepted or not to participate in terms of gender, age or origin of the service. The percentage of PLWHA who refused to participate in the study (40.7%) and lack of time available for their participation (63%) were considered high.Prevalence and reasons for refusal to particate in clinical research The information provided regarding the prevalence and reasons why volunteers refuse to participate in scientific research is sparse. This article aims to describe the prevalence and reasons for refusing to voluntarily participate in the cohort study whose objective is to evaluate morbidity and mortality amongst people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA), through a cross-sectional study conducted at the Centro de Treinamento e Referência em Doenças Infecciosas e Parasitárias (Training and Referral Center for Infectious and Parasitic Diseases). The following information was obtained: origin, date of birth, age, gender, and reason for not consenting, when applicable. The lack of time to devote to the research was the main reason given (63%), followed by fear of lack of confidentiality (17%). There was no statistical difference among those who accepted or not to participate in terms of gender, age or origin of the service. The percentage of PLWHA who refused to participate in the study (40.7%) and lack of time available for their participation (63%) were considered high.

Prevalência e motivos para recusar participação em pesquisa clínica

The information provided regarding the prevalence and reasons why volunteers refuse to participate in scientific research is sparse. This article aims to describe the prevalence and reasons for refusing to voluntarily participate in the cohort study whose objective is to evaluate morbidity and mortality amongst people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA), through a cross-sectional study conducted at the Centro de Treinamento e Referência em Doenças Infecciosas e Parasitárias (Training and Referral Center for Infectious and Parasitic Diseases). The following information was obtained: origin, date of birth, age, gender, and reason for not consenting, when applicable. The lack of time to devote to the research was the main reason given (63%), followed by fear of lack of confidentiality (17%). There was no statistical difference among those who accepted or not to participate in terms of gender, age or origin of the service. The percentage of PLWHA who refused to participate in the study (40.7%) and lack of time available for their participation (63%) were considered high.Prevalence and reasons for refusal to particate in clinical research The information provided regarding the prevalence and reasons why volunteers refuse to participate in scientific research is sparse. This article aims to describe the prevalence and reasons for refusing to voluntarily participate in the cohort study whose objective is to evaluate morbidity and mortality amongst people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA), through a cross-sectional study conducted at the Centro de Treinamento e Referência em Doenças Infecciosas e Parasitárias (Training and Referral Center for Infectious and Parasitic Diseases). The following information was obtained: origin, date of birth, age, gender, and reason for not consenting, when applicable. The lack of time to devote to the research was the main reason given (63%), followed by fear of lack of confidentiality (17%). There was no statistical difference among those who accepted or not to participate in terms of gender, age or origin of the service. The percentage of PLWHA who refused to participate in the study (40.7%) and lack of time available for their participation (63%) were considered high.