Peripheral lipodystrophy measure by DEXA in patients receiving HIV protease inhibitors

Full text: Protease inhibitors in combination with HIV reverse transcriptase inhibitors are now recommended as standard anti-retroviral therapy. A syndrome of peripheral lipodystrophy, hyperlipidaemia and insulin resistance, which correlates closely with abdominal obesity, has been associated with HIV protease inhibitors. 62 HIV-infected patients, 43 receiving protease inhibitors and 19 protease inhibitor-naive, had dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) measurements using the Lunar DPXL performed of the total body to assess body fat distribution. Each group had a comparable mean age and body mass index. Patients receiving protease inhibitors had significantly lower mean fat mass overall and in each region except for the central abdomen when compared to the protease inhibitor-naive group. This study demonstrates that DEXA total body measurement using the Lunar DPXL may be a useful tool in detecting regionalized fat loss in HIV positive patients receiving protease inhibitors and has potential for assessing its therapy