As
reported in the May 1, 2007 issue of AIDS, researchers with the Fat Redistribution and Metabolic Change
in HIV Infection (FRAM) study examined the association between HCV
infection (detectable HCV RNA) and adipose tissue volume (measured using MRI)
in HIV-infected men and women.
This
cross-sectional analysis included 792 HIV positive men, 20% of whom also had HCV,
and 329 women, 26% of whom were coinfected.
Results
HIV-HCV coinfected and HIV monoinfected
women had similar amounts of subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) in the leg, lower
trunk, upper trunk, and arm.
Women also had similar amounts
of visceral adipose tissue (VAT) regardless of HCV status.
HIV-HCV coinfected and HIV monoinfected
men had similar fat volume in most areas, except in the leg and VAT.
After adjustment, HCV infection
remained associated with more leg fat in men (12.2%; P = 0.043).
Among men receiving d4T (stavudine;
Zerit), HIV monoinfected men had less leg fat (-7% effect per year of stavudine
use; P < 0.001).
A weaker association was observed
in HIV-HCV coinfected men (-2% effect per year; P = 0.45).
Use of indinavir (Crixivan) was
associated with less leg fat:
-4% in HIV monoinfected men (P
= 0.002);
-5% in HIV/HCV coinfected men
(P = 0.14).
Conclusion
In
conclusion, the authors wrote, “Our findings suggest that HIV-HCV coinfection
is not associated with less subcutaneous adipose tissue in men and women.” They
added that, “HCV infection seems to mitigate the loss of leg fat seen in HIV-infected
men on stavudine
05/11/07
Reference P
C Tien, P Bacchetti, B Gripshover, and others. Association Between Hepatitis C
Virus Coinfection and Regional Adipose Tissue Volume in HIV-Infected Men and Women.
JAIDS 45(1): 60-65. May 1, 2007.
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