Lopinavir/ritonavir combination and total/HDL cholesterol ratio

To describe the evolution of the lipidic profile among LPV/r treated patients in a 'real life' situation.

Lipids measurements at LPV/r initiation time and every 3 months, and pharmacological measurements at M3 and M6 were collected retrospectively in 142 patients attending our clinic. Dyslipidaemia was defined as total cholesterol > or =6.2 mmol/l, HDL-cholesterol > or =1 mmol/l, total/HDL-cholesterol ratio > or =6.5 and triglycerides > or =2.3 mmol/l.

Eighty-nine percent of patients had previously received a regimen with protease inhibitors, 4% were treatment naive. At baseline, 17% of patients had high total cholesterol, 49% high triglycerides, 63% low HDL-cholesterol, 25% a high total/HDL-cholesterol ratio. At M12, the mean HDL-cholesterol increase per patient was 21%. Lipids levels significantly increased over the study period, as early as the 3rd month (6th month for ratio) and continuously until the 12th month. Among the patients with available LPV/r plasma determinations at M3, a higher lopinavir residual concentration was observed in those with high triglycerides (6.78 vs 3.02 mg/l, p = 0.05) as, at M6, in those with an elevated ratio (9.19 vs 0.96 mg/l, p = 0.02).

Those results suggest that LPV/r may induce a significant rise in the total/HDL-cholesterol ratio, despite an increase in HDL-cholesterol levels. The association between triglycerides and total/HDL-cholesterol ratio elevated levels and high residual concentrations of lopinavir may also argue for systematic drug monitoring.