Tejido adiposo epicárdico en personas que viven con VIH: ¿una ventana hacia el riesgo cardiovascular? / Epicardial adipose tissue in people living with HIV: a window towards cardiovascular risk?

Introducción: En las personas que viven con el virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana (PVVIH) se han descripto desregulaciones metabólicas que podrían vincularse a un mayor riesgo cardiovascular.Objetivo: Evaluar el espesor del tejido adiposo epicárdico (ETAE) y la relación del mismo con parámetros clínicos y bioquímicos de riesgo cardiovascular en adultos que viven con VIH, comparados con controles seronegativos.Materiales y métodos: Observacional, inclusión prospectiva. Se incluyeron PVVIH >18 años y controles seronegativos para VIH, a los cuales se les midió el espesor de TAE en dos ejes por ecocardiograma transtorácico, así como el espesor de íntima media carotídea por ecografía doppler color.Resultados: 75 pacientes, 58,7% del sexo masculino, edad de 36 años (RIQ 22). 50,7% con VIH (CD4+: 512 cél/mm3 RIQ 382; 80% indetectables). IMC de 25,2 kg/m2 (RIQ 5,3) y circunferencia de cintura de 88,5 cm (DS 12,4), sin diferencias. Las PVVIH tuvieron menor HDL, mayor proteína C reactiva, mayor dímero D y mayor glucemia en ayunas. El ETAE fue mayor en las PVVIH (4,05 vs. 3,49 mm p=0,021), y se correlacionó con la edad, glucemia en ayunas y dímero D. En las PVVIH, se correlacionó con insulinemia, índice HOMA2-IR, HDL-c y dímero D. El tratamiento con Efavirenz se asoció a un mayor ETAE.Conclusión: Las PVVIH presentaron mayor inflamación sistémica de bajo grado y un mayor espesor de TAE que los controles sanos, el cual se asoció en este grupo a insulinorresistencia

Introduction: For people living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (PLHIV), metabolic deregulations have been described, which could be related to a higher cardiovascular risk.Objective: To assess the epicardial adipose tissue thickness (EATT), and the relationship between this value and clinical and biochemical parameters of cardiovascular risk in adults living with HIV, if compared to a healthy control group. Methods: Observational, with prospective inclusion. It included PLHIV >18 years and seronegative controls. All of them had their EAT measured in two axes by transthoracic echocardiogram, as well as the carotid intima-media thickness determined by color doppler ultrasound.Results: 75 patients, 58.7% male, age of 36 years (RIQ 22). 50.7% patients with HIV (CD4+ of 512 cells/mm3; and 80% undetectable). BMI was of 25.2 kg/m2 and waist circumference of 88.5 cm, without between-groups differences. PLHIV had lower HDL, higher C reactive protein, higher D-dimer and higher fasting blood glucose. EATT was higher in PLHIV (4.05 vs 3.49 mm, p=0.021), and this correlated with age, fasting blood glucose and D-dimer. In PLHIV, it correlated with insulinemia, HOMA2-IR index, HDL-c ; and D-dimer. Treatment with Efavirenz was associated with a higher EATT.Conclusion: PLHIV presented increased systemic inflammation of low grade and higher EATT than the seronegative control group. EATT was associated in PLHIV to insulin resistance

Increased epicardial adipose tissue thickness associated with increased metabolic risk and the presence of heart failure in patients with Chronic Chagas disease.

BACKGROUND: It has been described that Trypanosoma cruzi is capable of promoting metabolic disturbances currently considered as cardiovascular risk factors. Moreover, it has been observed that the protozoa can remain in adipose tissue and alter its immune endocrine functions. The aim of this study was to characterize the thickness of epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) in patients with chronic Chagas disease (CCD) concerning their cardiovascular metabolic risk profile compared with those without CCD. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed including T. cruzi seropositive individuals categorized according to a standard CCD classification and a matched seronegative control group. Complete clinical examination, metabolic laboratory tests and transthoracic echocardiography to assess cardiac function and to quantify EAT were performed. RESULTS: Fifty-five individuals aged 46.7±11.9 y, 34 with CCD and 21 in the control group, were included. The CCD group presented higher EAT thickness in relation to controls (4.54±1.28 vs 3.22±0.99 mm; p=0.001), which was significantly associated with the presence of insulin resistance (OR=3, 95% CI 1.58 to 5.73; p<0.001). This group presented lower levels of plasmatic adiponectin than controls, especially in those patients with EAT ≥4.5 mm (p=0.005) who also presented with heart failure more frequently (p=0.01). CONCLUSION: In patients with CCD, a higher EAT thickness is observed and is associated with an increased metabolic risk profile indicated mainly by insulin resistance.