Abstract:
Adiponectin is an important marker of anthropometric profiles of adipose tissue. However,
association of adiponectin and adiposity in HIV mono- and co-infected and hepatitis (HCV)
injection drug users (IDUs) has not been elucidated. Therefore, the relationship of total
adiponectin levels with anthropometric indices of adiposity was examined in HIV mono infected (anti-retroviral treatment, ART-naive, nZ16 and -experienced, nZ34); HCV mono infected, nZ36; HIV and HCV co-infected (ART-naive, nZ5 and -experienced, nZ13);
uninfected, nZ19 IDUs; and healthy controls, nZ16 from coastal Kenya. Anthropometric
indices of adiposity were recorded and total circulating adiponectin levels were measured in
serum samples using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Adiponectin levels differed
significantly amongst the study groups (P!0.0001). Post-hoc analyses revealed decreased
levels in HIV mono-infected ART-naive IDUs in comparison to uninfected IDUs (P!0.05) and
healthy controls (P!0.05). However, adiponectin levels were elevated in HCV mono-infected
IDUs relative to HIV mono-infected ART-naive (P!0.001) and -experienced (P!0.001) as well
as HIV and HCV co-infected ART-naive (P!0.05) IDUs. Furthermore, adiponectin correlated
with weight (rZ0.687; PZ0.003) and BMI (rZ0.598; PZ0.014) in HIV mono-infected
ART-naive IDUs; waist circumference (rZK0.626; P!0.0001), hip (rZK0.561; PZ0.001)
circumference, and bust-to-waist ratio (rZ0.561; PZ0.001) in HIV mono-infected ART experienced IDUs; waist girth (rZ0.375; PZ0.024) in HCV mono-infected IDUs; and waist to-hip ratio (rZK0.872; PZ0.048) in HIV and HCV co-infected ART-naive IDUs. Altogether,
these results suggest suppression of adiponectin production in treatment-naive HIV mono infected IDUs and that circulating adiponectin is a useful surrogate marker of altered
adiposity in treatment-naive and -experienced HIV and HCV mono- and co-infected IDUs.
