October - December 2019, Volume 15, Issue 4

Negru AR, Tiliscan C, Tudor AM, Munteanu DI, Popescu C, Lazar M, Streinu-Cercel A, Arama V, Arama SS

Bone Quality in a Young Cohort of Hiv-Positive Patients

Acta Endo (Buc) 2019, 15 (4): 447-453
doi: 10.4183/aeb.2019.447

Context. In HIV+ patients, several factors related to patient and antiretroviral therapy (ART) could determine early onset of bone mineral density (BMD) disturbances. Objective. Evaluation of bone quality according to gender in patients from the HIV Romanian cohort. Design. A cross-sectional study in “Prof. Dr. Matei Balș” National Institute for Infectious Diseases, Bucharest between 2016-2018. Subject and Methods. We collected data regarding HIV infection, ART history, viral hepatitis co-infections and we calculated patients body mass index (BMI). CD4 cell count, HIV viral load (VL), vitamin-D levels were determined. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans were used to evaluate BMD. Results. We enrolled 97 patients with the median age of 26 years. According to the DXA T-scores, 10 males and 8 females had osteopenia and 4 males and 4 females had osteoporosis. According to Z-scores 2 males and 1 female had osteoporosis. Hip DXA T-scores revealed osteopenia in 6 males and 9 females, whereas T and Z-scores showed osteoporosis in 2 males and 3 females. Lumbar spine (LS) T-score diagnosed osteopenia in 9 males and 6 females, while T and Z-scores revealed osteoporosis in 3 males and females. In males, low T-scores were associated with decreased BMI; low LS DXA Z-scores with low vitamin-D levels; low T and Z-scores and LS-BMD with high VL. Conclusions. Evaluating bone quality in patients with a long history of HIV infection, multiple factors should be taken into account.

Keywords: HIV, osteopenia, osteoporosis, gender

Correspondence: Catalin Tiliscan MD, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 37 Dionisie Lupu street, Bucharest, 020021, Romania, E-mail: catalin.tiliscan@gmail.com