A large observational study found an association between the use of the nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor abacavir and an increase of cardiovascular risk in HIV-1–infected patients.1–3 Since then, different studies have reported controversial results: some cohort studies seemed to confirm the observation,4,5 whereas other more recent analyses and a meta-analysis seem to6–9 contradict this hypothesis. Currently, the major treatment guidelines warrant caution in the prescription of this drug in patients already showing a high cardiovascular risk based on traditional parameters.Nonetheless, a biological mechanism explaining the reasons for this finding has never been elucidated. Despite an initial observation of higher levels of inflammatory markers in a cross-sectional analysis of samples from 2 observational cohorts,4 subsequent longitudinal studies failed to detect significant associations between the use of abacavir and changes in the levels of cardiovascular risk biomarkers.
De Luca A, de Gaetano Donati K, Cozzi-Lepri A, Colafigli M, De Curtis A, Capobianchi MR, et al. (2012). Exposure to abacavir and biomarkers of cardiovascular disease in HIV-1-infected patients on suppressive antiretroviral therapy: a longitudinal study. JOURNAL OF ACQUIRED IMMUNE DEFICIENCY SYNDROMES, 60, 98-101 [10.1097/QAI.0b013e318259875b.].
Exposure to abacavir and biomarkers of cardiovascular disease in HIV-1-infected patients on suppressive antiretroviral therapy: a longitudinal study
VIALE, PIERLUIGI;BORDERI, MARCO;VERUCCHI, GABRIELLA;
2012
Abstract
A large observational study found an association between the use of the nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor abacavir and an increase of cardiovascular risk in HIV-1–infected patients.1–3 Since then, different studies have reported controversial results: some cohort studies seemed to confirm the observation,4,5 whereas other more recent analyses and a meta-analysis seem to6–9 contradict this hypothesis. Currently, the major treatment guidelines warrant caution in the prescription of this drug in patients already showing a high cardiovascular risk based on traditional parameters.Nonetheless, a biological mechanism explaining the reasons for this finding has never been elucidated. Despite an initial observation of higher levels of inflammatory markers in a cross-sectional analysis of samples from 2 observational cohorts,4 subsequent longitudinal studies failed to detect significant associations between the use of abacavir and changes in the levels of cardiovascular risk biomarkers.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
