Association of immune recovery with hyperlipidaemia and apolipoprotein gene polymorphisms following highly active antiretroviral therapy in a cohort of Chinese HIV patients

Abstract

Objective To examine the associations between CD4 recovery, dyslipidaemia and apolipoprotein (APO) gene single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) following highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART).Design Retrospective observational cohort study.Setting A major HIV care clinic in Hong Kong.Participants 197 Chinese treatment-naïve HIV patients.Outcome measures Maximum CD4 count and its rise 2–3 years after HAART initiation and their association with abnormal total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG) and 8 selected APO SNP at multiple time points.Results Before HAART, abnormal levels of TC, TG, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol were detected in 13%, 26%, 59% and 19% of the recruited patients, respectively. APOA5 −1131T>C and c.553G>T were significantly associated with high pre-HAART TG while APOE 2198C>T was correlated with high TG at baseline and/or a rise 2–3 years following HAART initiation. Poor CD4 achievement, defined as the highest CD4 count <350/μL and a net gain of <100/μL, was associated with a low CD4 count ≤200/μL at baseline and a rise of TC beyond 5.17 mmol/L following HAART with or without the use of antilipid agents. Conversely, satisfactory CD4 achievement was associated with APOC3 3238GG genotype. Applying a linear generalised estimating equation, APOA5 −1131T>C was shown to be a predictor of a weaker temporal trend for CD4 response in the presence of a low baseline CD4≤200/μL.Conclusions Dyslipidaemia plays a predictive role in impacting immunological recovery following HAART, which could be partly explained by the APO gene SNP.