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Published on: June 30, 2013

Elevated NT-pro-BNP levels are associated with comorbidities among HIV-infected women

Ather Mansoor1, Keri Althoff, Stephen Gange

  • 1Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY 11203, USA.

AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses
|October 7, 2009
PubMed

Insights

HIV infection is linked to higher natriuretic peptide levels, but this is primarily due to co-existing conditions like anemia and kidney disease, not the virus itself. These peptides signal overall comorbidity in HIV-infected individuals.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Nephrology

Background:

  • HIV infection is associated with left ventricular dysfunction and accelerated atherosclerosis, leading to elevated plasma natriuretic peptide (NP) levels.
  • Natriuretic peptides, such as N-terminal-pro-BNP (NT-pro-BNP), are biomarkers of cardiac stress and dysfunction.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare NT-pro-BNP levels in HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected women.
  • To identify factors influencing NT-pro-BNP levels in HIV-infected women.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study involving 454 HIV-infected and 200 HIV-uninfected women from the Women's Interagency HIV Study (WIHS).
  • NT-pro-BNP levels were measured and compared using age-stratified cut-off values.
  • Statistical analyses, including univariate and multivariate models, were used to identify associated factors.

Main Results:

  • HIV-infected women had significantly higher NT-pro-BNP levels and a higher prevalence of elevated levels compared to HIV-uninfected women.
  • Elevated NT-pro-BNP was significantly associated with anemia, kidney dysfunction, and Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) seropositivity in multivariate analysis.
  • In HIV-infected women, NT-pro-BNP levels were not independently associated with HIV severity or HAART use.

Conclusions:

  • Elevated NT-pro-BNP levels in HIV-infected women are primarily driven by non-HIV-related comorbidities such as anemia, kidney disease, and HCV coinfection.
  • NT-pro-BNP serves as a global marker of comorbidity in the context of HIV infection.
  • These findings underscore the importance of managing comorbidities in HIV-infected individuals to improve cardiovascular outcomes.

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