Serum adiponectin in HIV-1 and hepatitis C virus mono- and co infected Kenyan injection drug users

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.