Antiretroviral therapy initiation alters the redox system of asymptomatic HIV-Infected individuals

Background. The combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) increases the oxidative stress in HIV-infected people, which in turn favors the onset and aggravation of non-AIDS comorbidities, a common situation affecting these individuals. We aimed to evaluate the influence of cART initiation on oxidative stress parameters. This is a longitudinal study including 30 asymptomatic patients divided according to their CD4+ T cell count (G1: 500 cell/mL) before (M0) and after (M1) cART initiation. We analyzed total antioxidant capacity (TAC), fat-soluble vitamins, malondialdehyde, 8-isoprostane, and DNA damage. Results. Results showed a decrease in TAC, retinol, \u3b1-tocopherol, and some carotenoids, in addition to a significant increase in DNA damage at M1. These changes were more evident in G2 subjects. Moreover, there was a significant 8-isoprostane increase at M1 in individuals belonging to G1. Conclusion. The results indicate that cART interfered in the redox system, mainly by reducing the antioxidant defenses. In addition, patients who had CD4+ T counts higher than 500 cells/mm3 showed more susceptibility to genotoxicity, while patients with less CD4+ T counts displayed more damage triggered by lipoperoxidation. Considering the early beginning of cART, its chronic use, and its capacity to alter the redox status, further long-term studies on larger cohorts are needed to define the best time to initiate therapy and to investigate new strategies to delay the development of non-AIDS diseases

The initial months of antiretroviral therapy and its influence on AGEs, HMGB1, and sRAGE levels in asymptomatic HIV-infected individuals

The development of the typical comorbidities of aging which currently affects people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) can be partially ascribed to the persistent immune activation and chronic inflammation characterizing these individuals. The aim of this study was to analyze the effect exerted by combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) administration on plasma levels of HMGB1 (high mobility group box protein-1), AGEs (advanced glycation end products), their soluble receptor sRAGE, cytokines, C-reactive protein (CRP), and some metabolic markers in asymptomatic PLWHA. Analyses were performed longitudinally in 30 PLWHA, before and about 6\u201312 months after cART initiation. We observed that lower levels of AGEs in post-cART group were accompanied by an increase of CRP and triglyceride levels already in the early months of therapy. Because of the current ever-earlier recommendations to start cART and its prolonged use, these and other markers should be investigated in order to monitor and postpone the appearance of non-AIDS comorbidities in PLWHA

Características físicas dos frutos de quatro cultivares e duas seleções de goiabeira no 5º ano de produção em Porto Lucena - RS Physical caracteristics of früits of four guava cultivars and two selections at 5th production year in Porto Lucena - RS

O trabalho foi conduzido em Porto Lucena, RS, na safra de 1992, com o objetivo de avaliar as características físicas dos frutos de 4 cultivares (IAC-4, Brune Vermelha, Riverside Vermelha e Pirassununga Vermelha) e duas seleções (RBS-1 e RBS-2) de goiabeira (Psidium guajava L.). As seleções RBS-1 e RBS-2 destacaram-se como as de maior peso médio de fruto e a seleção RBS-2 como a de maior diâmetro longitudinal (DL), diâmetro transversal (DT), relação DL/DT e peso da polpa (PP). A cv. Riverside Vermelha destacou-se pela maior espessura do endocarpo (EE) e peso do endocarpo (PE). A cv. IAC-4 e a seleção RBS-1 apresentaram a melhor relação PP/PE. A firmeza, espessura da polpa (EP) e relação EP/EE foram semelhantes entre as cultivares e seleções.<br>This research was carried out in Porto Lucena, RS, Brazil, at 1992 harvest, aimed to evaluate some physical characteristics of fruits of four guava (Psidium guajava L.) cultivars (IAC-4, Brune Vermelha, Riverside Vermelha and Pirassununga Vermelha) and two selections (RBS-1 and RBS-2). RBS-1 and RBS-2 selections showed the highest fruit average weight and the RBS-2 selection showed the highest longitudinal diameter (LD), transversal diameter (TD), LD/LT relation and flesh weight (FW). Riverside Vermelha cultivar presented the highest endocarp thickness (ET) and endocarp weight (EW). IAC-4 cultivar and RBS-1 selection had the best FW/EW relation. On the other hand, firmness, flesh thickness (FT) and FT/ET relation did not show differences among cultivars and selections