Research Article Open Access

Pathophysiology of Adipocyte Defects and Dyslipidemia in HIV Lipodystrophy: New Evidence from Metabolic and Molecular Studies

Ashok Balasubramanyam1, Rajagopal V. Sekhar1, Farook Jahoor2, Henry J. Pownall3 and Dorothy Lewis4
  • 1 Division of Diabetes, United States
  • 2 Children’s Nutrition Research Center, United States
  • 3 Section of Atherosclerosis and Lipoprotein Metabolism, United States
  • 4 Baylor College of Medicine, United States

Abstract

Despite a burgeoning mass of descriptive information regarding the epidemiology, clinical features, body composition changes, hormonal alterations and dyslipidemic patterns in patients with HIV lipodystrophy syndrome (HLS), the specific biochemical pathways that are dysregulated in the condition and the molecular mechanisms that lead to their dysfunction, remain relatively unexplored. In this paper, we review studies that detail the metabolic basis of the dyslipidemia - specifically, the hypertriglyceridemia - that is the serologic hallmark of HLS and present new data relevant to mechanisms of dyslipidemia in the postprandial state. We also describe preliminary experiments showing that in addition to the well-known effects of highly-active antiretroviral drugs, the functional disruption of adipocytes and preadipocytes by factors intrinsic to HIV-infected immunocytes may play a role in the pathogenesis of HLS.

American Journal of Infectious Diseases
Volume 2 No. 3, 2006, 167-172

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3844/ajidsp.2006.167.172

Submitted On: 13 July 2006 Published On: 30 September 2006

How to Cite: Balasubramanyam, A., Sekhar, R. V., Jahoor, F., Pownall, H. J. & Lewis, D. (2006). Pathophysiology of Adipocyte Defects and Dyslipidemia in HIV Lipodystrophy: New Evidence from Metabolic and Molecular Studies. American Journal of Infectious Diseases, 2(3), 167-172. https://doi.org/10.3844/ajidsp.2006.167.172

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Keywords

  • Triglycerides
  • cholesterol
  • lipoprotein lipase
  • lipolysis
  • lymphocyte