CD4/CD8 Ratio as a Predictor for the Occurrence of Metabolic Syndrome in HIV / AIDS Patients During 6 Months of cART Therapy.

BACKGROUND

HIV infection is characterized by progressive depletion of CD4 T cells due to their reduced synthesis and increased destruction followed by marked activation and expansion of CD8 T lymphocytes. CD4/CD8 ratio was traditionally described as a marker of immune system ageing in the general population, but it increasingly appears as a marker of different outcomes in the HIV-infected population. The main objective of this study is to examine the power of CD4/CD8 ratio in predicting the occurrence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in HIV-positive patients receiving cART therapy.

METHODS

80 HIV/AIDS subjects were included in a retrospective case-control study. Flow cytometry was used to determine the percentage of CD4 and CD8 cells in peripheral blood of these patients. The values of biochemical parameters (triglycerides, HDL, blood sugar, blood counts), immunological parameters (CD4/CD8, PCR), anthropometric measurements and type of cART therapy were evaluated in this study.

RESULTS

After six months of cART therapy 19 (23.8%) subjects had all the elements necessary for making the diagnosis of MetS. Using multivariate analysis CD4/CD8 ratio was statistically significant (p < 0.05) and had the largest effect on development of MetS (Wald = 9.01; OR = 0.45), followed by cART (Wald = 7.87; OR = 0.10) and triglycerides (Wald = 5.27; OR = 1.7). On the other hand, body weight and waist circumference showed no statistically significant effect on the development of MetS after six months of cART, p > 0.05.

CONCLUSIONS

CD4/CD8 ratio proved to be a significant marker for prediction of metabolic syndrome in HIV/AIDS patients.