Researcher Maude Loignon and colleagues collected 18 months of data (and spent three long months in data analysis) on 80 HIV positive subjects from a Montreal HIV clinic. The purpose of their study was to try and find out if abnormal thyroid hormone levels were present in HAART users.

Study details and results

Researchers collected data on subjects who had the following profile:

• ab19% female, 81% male

The research team found the following:

• 35% of subjects (20 males) had abnormal thyroid tests
• average age of subjects with these abnormalities – 45 years
• the 20 subjects had been taking anti-HIV drugs for about 8 years
• their average CD4+ count was 170 cells
• their average viral load was about 4,300 copies

Naming thyroid hormones

Here are the names of three thyroid hormones:

• TSH – thyroid-stimulating hormone or thyrotropin
• T₃ – triiodothyronine
• T₄ – thyroxine

Sometimes doctors may order the "free" form of the hormone to be measured. The "free" form of the hormone means the amount that is available in the blood for the body to use. The results of thyroid tests were as follows:

• antibodies that attacked the thyroid gland were detected in 20 subjects
• higher-than-normal levels of the hormone TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone) were found in five subjects
• less-than-normal levels of the same hormone were found in four subjects
• less-than-normal levels of the thyroid hormone "free" T₃ were found in seven subjects
• less-than-normal levels of the thyroid hormone "free" T₄ were found in six subjects

In 19 of 20 subjects, technicians found higher-than-normal levels of triglycerides in the blood.

It is clear from this study that thyroid dysfunction is common in some PHAs who are taking HAART. However, it is not clear exactly why this problems occurs. Is it caused by protease inhibitors, non-nukes, nukes or a combination of all three groups of drugs? What role does HIV play in causing thyroid dysfunction? The work conducted by researchers in France and Canada is an important first step toward answering these questions.

REFERENCE

Loignon M, Martin M and Toma E. High rate of thyroid autoimmunity and dysfunction in HIV-infected adults receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy. Abstract 80 - 3rd International Workshop on Adverse Drug Reactions and Lipodystrophy in HIV, 23-26 October 2001, Athens, Greece.

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