Inflammation and coagulation in HIV infection contributes significantly to patient mortality. Issue 2 (March 2009)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Stevens, WS
• Is Part Of: HIV therapy. Volume 3:Issue 2(2009)
• Page Start: 135
• Page End: 139
• Publication Date: 2009-03
• Subjects: coagulation -- HIV -- inflammation -- mortality; HIV (Viruses) -- Treatment -- Periodicals; HIV (Viruses) -- Research -- Periodicals; 616.979206
• DOI: 10.2217/17584310.3.2.135
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1758-4310

Abstract

Evaluation of: Kuller LH, Tracey R, Belloso W et al.: Inflammatory and coagulation biomarkers and mortality in patients with HIV infection. PLOS Med. 5(10), e203 (2008). The authors of this paper investigate a number of biomarkers associated with inflammation (high sensitivity C-reactive protein, IL-6, amyloid A, and amyloid P) and coagulation (D -dimer and prothrombin fragment 1+2) in the Strategies for Management of Antiretroviral Therapy (SMART) trial. In the SMART study an increased risk of all-cause mortality was demonstrated in the therapy interruption arm, as compared with standard practice of continuous antiretroviral treatment. Kuller and colleagues demonstrated that IL-6 andD -dimer levels were strongly associated with all-cause mortality. The authors postulate that HIV leads to activation of inflammation and coagulation increasing the risk of death in HIV-infected individuals and that interrupting antiretroviral treatment increases this risk.