MECHANISMS OF LIPODYSTROPHY IN HIV INFECTED PATIENTS

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Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is a major global health problem. Recently, combination therapy including HIV-1 protease inhibitors (PIs) has dramatically improved the long-term survival of HIV (+) patients. However, such therapy is associated with a lipodystrophy syndrome characterized by marked loss of subcutaneous (sc) fat from the face and extremities but excess of sc fat around the neck, dorsocervical region and trunk. Such patients have increased propensity to insulin resistance, diabetes mellitus and dyslipidemia. The metabolic and molecular basis of lipodystrophy syndrome in HIV-infected patients is not known. Whether besides PIs, other antiretroviral drugs, HIV infection and reduction in viral load contribute to the development of lipodystrophy syndrome is not clear. The project therefore has the following aims: 1) to characterize metabolic abnormalities and changes in body fat distribution, 2) to develop objective criteria for defining the syndrome and to ascertain prognostic indicators and 3) to elucidate the molecular basis of the lipodystrophy syndrome in HIV-infected patients. To accomplish these aims, we will conduct a 2-year long prospective, randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled study in 200 asymptomatic HIV (+) patients to compare two equally effective antiretroviral regimens, one with and the other without a PI. We will study body fat distribution by anthropometry and magnetic resonance imaging and will measure insulin sensitivity (in a subset of patients), plasma lipoproteins, glucose tolerance and other metabolic variables. We will study expression of an array of adipocyte specific proteins/transcription factors involved in adipocyte differentiation, insulin action and lipoprotein metabolism in fat biopsy samples obtained before and after institution of therapy. Identification of the metabolic and molecular basis of lipodystrophy syndrome in HIV (+) patients may lead to better understanding of role of adipocyte-specific genes in insulin action and body fat distribution and may lead to discovery of other antiretroviral drugs that do not cause the lipodystrophy syndrome. Additionally, the study may prove effectiveness and reduced toxicity of alternative antiretroviral regimens without a PI.