Persistent Inflammation and Endothelial Activation in HIV-1 Infected Patients after 12 Years of Antiretroviral Therapy

Objective: The study investigated markers of inflammation and endothelial activation in HIV infected patients after 12 years of successful combination antiretroviral treatment (cART). Methods: Inflammation and endothelial activation were assessed by measuring levels of immunoglobulins, beta 2-microglobulin, interleukin (IL) 8, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha), vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1), intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1), sE-Selectin, and sP-Selectin. Results: HIV infected patients had higher levels of beta 2-microglobulin, IL-8, TNF alpha, and sICAM-1 than uninfected controls, and HIV infected patients lacked correlation between platelet counts and sP-Selectin levels found in uninfected controls. Conclusion: Discrete signs of systemic and vascular inflammation persist even after very long term cART.