Correlation between PAI-1, leptin and ferritin with HOMA in HIV/AIDS patients.

Background: Data about correlation of interleukins (IL-1 α, IL-1 β, IFN γ, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10), adipocytokines (leptin, adiponectin, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), resistin, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα), ferritin, C reactive protein (CRP) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) with homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) in HIV/AIDS patients are still limited. Therefore the aim of this study was to evaluate the possible correlations of serum levels of PAI-1, leptin and ferritin with HOMA in HIV/AIDS patients treated with combined antiretroviral therapy (cART).

Methods: This cross-sectional study included 64 HIV/AIDS patients, all Caucasians, receiving cART at the HIV/AIDS Centre, Belgrade, Serbia. PAI-1, leptin, ferritin and insulin levels were measured using the Metabolic Syndrome Array I (Randox Laboratories Ltd., London, UK), while adiponectin and resistin levels were measured using Metabolic Syndrome Array II (Randox Laboratories Ltd., London, UK), interleukins (IL-1 α, IL-1 β, IFN γ, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10), MCP-1, TNF-α as well as VEGF was measured using Cytokine Array I (Randox Laboratories Ltd., London, UK). Insulin resistance was determined using the homeostasis model assessment index (HOMA). Multicollinearity of independent variables in multivariate model was analyzed using Variance Inflation Factor.

Results: Correlation analysis revealed significant correlations between HOMA and waist circumference, body mass index, patients' age, number of cART combinations and triglycerides (p = 0.001, p = 0.001, p = 0.050, p = 0.044, p = 0.002, respectively). HOMA negatively correlated with levels of high density lipoprotein (HDL) (Rho = -0.282; p = 0.025). PAI-1 (Rho = 0.334; p= 0.007) and leptin (Rho = 0.492; p = 0.001) together with ferritin (Rho = 0.396, p = 0.001) positively and significantly correlated with HOMA. Levels of IL-1 α, IL-1 β, IFN γ, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, adiponectin, MCP-1, resistin, TNF-α, CRP and VEGF did not significantly correlate with HOMA. Further, multiple logistic regression showed that there is a statistically significant correlation between PAI, leptin and ferritin with HOMA levels (p = 0.042; p < 0.001, p = 0.009).

Conclusions: We showed significant correlation between PAI-1, leptin and ferritin, independently of each other with HOMA, in HIV/AIDS patients on cART.