Endothelial Glycocalyx Integrity in Treatment-Naïve People Living with HIV before and One Year after Antiretroviral Treatment Initiation

Paraskevi C. Fragkou; Ignatios Ikonomidis; Dimitrios Benas; Dimitra Kavatha; Charalampos D. Moschopoulos; Konstantinos Protopapas; Gavriella Kostelli; John Thymis; Dionysia Mpirmpa; Irene Galani; Maria Tsakona; Chrysanthi Oikonomopoulou; George Theocharous; Vassilis G. Gorgoulis; Parisis Gallos; Sotirios Tsiodras; Anastasia Antoniadou; Antonios Papadopoulos; Helen Triantafyllidi

doi:10.3390/v15071505

Viruses (Jul 2023)

Endothelial Glycocalyx Integrity in Treatment-Naïve People Living with HIV before and One Year after Antiretroviral Treatment Initiation

Paraskevi C. Fragkou,
Ignatios Ikonomidis,
Dimitrios Benas,
Dimitra Kavatha,
Charalampos D. Moschopoulos,
Konstantinos Protopapas,
Gavriella Kostelli,
John Thymis,
Dionysia Mpirmpa,
Irene Galani,
Maria Tsakona,
Chrysanthi Oikonomopoulou,
George Theocharous,
Vassilis G. Gorgoulis,
Parisis Gallos,
Sotirios Tsiodras,
Anastasia Antoniadou,
Antonios Papadopoulos,
Helen Triantafyllidi

Affiliations

Paraskevi C. Fragkou: First Department of Critical Care and Pulmonary Services, Evangelismos Hospital, Athens Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 10676 Athens, Greece
Ignatios Ikonomidis: Second Department of Cardiology, Attikon University Hospital, Athens Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 12462 Athens, Greece
Dimitrios Benas: Second Department of Cardiology, Attikon University Hospital, Athens Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 12462 Athens, Greece
Dimitra Kavatha: Fourth Department of Internal Medicine, Attikon University Hospital, Athens Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 12462 Athens, Greece
Charalampos D. Moschopoulos: Fourth Department of Internal Medicine, Attikon University Hospital, Athens Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 12462 Athens, Greece
Konstantinos Protopapas: Fourth Department of Internal Medicine, Attikon University Hospital, Athens Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 12462 Athens, Greece
Gavriella Kostelli: Second Department of Cardiology, Attikon University Hospital, Athens Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 12462 Athens, Greece
John Thymis: Second Department of Cardiology, Attikon University Hospital, Athens Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 12462 Athens, Greece
Dionysia Mpirmpa: Second Department of Cardiology, Attikon University Hospital, Athens Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 12462 Athens, Greece
Irene Galani: Fourth Department of Internal Medicine, Attikon University Hospital, Athens Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 12462 Athens, Greece
Maria Tsakona: Fourth Department of Internal Medicine, Attikon University Hospital, Athens Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 12462 Athens, Greece
Chrysanthi Oikonomopoulou: Fourth Department of Internal Medicine, Attikon University Hospital, Athens Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 12462 Athens, Greece
George Theocharous: Molecular Carcinogenesis Group, Department of Histology and Embryology, Athens Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
Vassilis G. Gorgoulis: Molecular Carcinogenesis Group, Department of Histology and Embryology, Athens Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
Parisis Gallos: Computational Biomedicine Laboratory, Department of Digital Systems, University of Piraeus, 18536 Piraeus, Greece
Sotirios Tsiodras: Fourth Department of Internal Medicine, Attikon University Hospital, Athens Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 12462 Athens, Greece
Anastasia Antoniadou: Fourth Department of Internal Medicine, Attikon University Hospital, Athens Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 12462 Athens, Greece
Antonios Papadopoulos: Fourth Department of Internal Medicine, Attikon University Hospital, Athens Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 12462 Athens, Greece
Helen Triantafyllidi: Second Department of Cardiology, Attikon University Hospital, Athens Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 12462 Athens, Greece

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/v15071505
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 15, no. 7
p. 1505

Abstract

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Endothelial glycocalyx (EG) derangement has been associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD). Studies on EG integrity among people living with HIV (PLWH), are lacking. We conducted a prospective cohort study among treatment-naïve PLWH who received emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide, combined with either an integrase strand transfer inhibitor (INSTI, dolutegravir, raltegravir or elvitegravir/cobicistat), or a protease inhibitor (PI, darunavir/cobicistat). We assessed EG at baseline, 24 (±4) and 48 (±4) weeks, by measuring the perfused boundary region (PBR, inversely proportional to EG thickness), in sublingual microvessels. In total, 66 consecutive PLWH (60 (90.9%) males) with a median age (interquartile range, IQR) of 37 (12) years, were enrolled. In total, 40(60.6%) received INSTI-based regimens. The mean (standard deviation) PBR decreased significantly from 2.17 (0.29) μm at baseline to 2.04 (0.26) μm (p = 0.019), and then to 1.93 (0.3) μm (p < 0.0001) at 24 (±4) and 48 (±4) weeks, respectively. PBR did not differ among treatment groups. PLWH on INSTIs had a significant PBR reduction at 48 (±4) weeks. Smokers and PLWH with low levels of viremia experienced the greatest PBR reduction. This study is the first to report the benefit of antiretroviral treatment on EG improvement in treatment-naïve PLWH and depicts a potential bedside biomarker and therapeutic target for CVD in PLWH.

Published in Viruses

ISSN: 1999-4915 (Online)
Publisher: MDPI AG
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Science: Microbiology
Website: http://www.mdpi.com/journal/viruses

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