Important note: Information in this article was accurate in August 2000. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Doctors in Frankfurt, Germany, took fat samples from the buttocks of 24 HIV-positive subjects for analysis. The subjects were taking the following combinations of drugs:
Fat samples were also removed from eight HIV-negative subjects for purposes of comparison. The average age of subjects did not differ between the two groups.
The amount of mitochondrial damage observed among the eight HIV-negative subjects did not differ from that seen in the four HIV-positive subjects who had not used nukes. However, the 19 subjects using nukes had significantly reduced levels of Mt DNA compared to the four subjects not using nukes. Moreover, in those subjects who were losing subcutaneous fat, Mt DNA levels were 38% lower than those observed in people who were not losing subcutaneous fat.
The findings of the German researchers were supported by results from Hawaii. Researchers there also documented greatly decreased levels of mitochondrial DNA in fat cells taken from seven HIV-positive subjects, particularly those experiencing loss of subcutaneous fat.
These research results suggest that decreased Mt levels in fat cells (due to damage from drugs) may be linked to the loss of subcutaneous fat in some people with HIV/AIDS.
1. Walker UA, Bickel M, Volksbeck SIL, et al. Decrease of mitochondrial DNA content in adipose tissue of HIV-1-infected patients treated with NRTIs. Abstract 06.
2. Shikuma C, Hu N, Milne C and Shiramizu B. Subcutaneous adipose tissue mitochondrial DNA analysis from individuals with HAART-associated lipodystrophy. Abstract 07.
20000809
CATE10904
Copyright © 2000 - TreatmentUpdate. Reproduced with permission. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the Editor, The Canadian AIDS Treatment Information Exchange, 555 Richmond St. West, Suite 505, Box 1104, Toronto, ON, M5V 3B1 • Phone: 416-203-7122 • Toll Free: 1-800-263-1638 • Fax: 416-203-8284 http://www.catie.ca.
ÆGiS is made possible through unrestricted grants from Boehringer Ingelheim, Elton John AIDS Foundation, iMetrikus, Inc., the National Library of Medicine, and donations from users like you. Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2000. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
ÆGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Copyright ©1990, 2000. ÆGiS & the Sisters of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary. All materials appearing on ÆGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of ÆGIS, or the party credited as the provider of the content.