Age and laboratory variables at baseline of patients on ART (n = 43) or ART and MVC (n = 45).

<p>Results are presented as median and range.</p>*<p>p = 0.013 for direct comparison (Mann-Whitney).</p>§<p>p = 0.003 for direct comparison (Mann-Whitney).</p

Changes in metabolic variables and CD4⁺ cell counts over time in patients on ART (solid line, squares) or ART with MVC (broken line, circles).

<p>* denotes p<0.05 and ** p<0.01 for differences between the two patient groups at the time shown (Mann-Whitney test after non parametric analysis of variance for repeated measures).</p

HIV-RNA copy levels by time and treatment group.

<p>Data is presented as median and range. 49 copies is the lower limit of detection of the assay, and it was written in the database to indicate that the HIV-RNA was undetectable.</p

Median (range) levels of sEPCR.

<p>Median (range) levels of sEPCR.</p

CD4⁺ cell counts (solid line) and D-dimer levels (broken line) in ART treated (panel a) or ART with MVC treated (panel b) patients, by sEPCR levels at week 48 (high levels = red lines, low levels = blue lines).

<p>High or low sEPCR levels were defined as sEPCR ≥ or <300 ng/mL (corresponding to the 95^th percentile of the normal distribution). As specified in the text, D-dimers levels were measured in all patients up to week 24, while sEPCR was measured in all patients up to weel 48.</p