Oxidative stress and plasma antioxidant micronutrients in humans with HIV infection

Increased lipid peroxidation induced by reactive oxygen species may play a role in the stimulation of HIV replication. In this study we compared lipid peroxidation indexes and plasma antioxidant micronutrients between 49 nonsmoking HIV-positive patients with no active opportunistic infection (25 asymptomatic and 24 with AIDS) and 15 age-matched seronegative control subjects. Breath-alkane output, plasma lipid peroxides, antioxidant vitamins, and trace elements were measured. Vitamin C (40.7 +/- 3.02 compared with 75.7 +/- 4.3 mumol/L, P < 0.005), alpha-tocopherol (22.52 +/- 1.18 compared with 26.61 +/- 2.60 mumol/L, P < 0.05), beta-carotene (0.23 +/- 0.04 compared with 0.38 +/- 0.04 mumol/L, P < 0.05), and selenium (0.37 +/- 0.05 compared with 0.85 +/- 0.09 mumol/L, P < 0.005) concentrations were significantly lower in the HIV-positive patients. Lipid peroxides (50.7 +/- 8.2 compared with 4.5 +/- 0.8 mumol/L, P < 0.005), breath pentane (9.05 +/- 1.23 compared with 6.06 +/- 0.56 pmol.kg-1.min-1, P < 0.05), and ethane output (28.1 +/- 3.41 compared with 11.42 +/- 0.55 pmol.kg-1.min-1, P < 0.05) were significantly higher in the HIV-positive patients. These results showed an increase in oxidative stress and a weakened antioxidant defense system in HIV-positive patients. Whether supplementation of antioxidant vitamins will reduce this oxidative stress is still unknown.