The effects of different antiretroviral therapy combinations upon lipid profile of HIV-positive patients in Libya

Background: Using anti-retroviral therapy for HIV positive subjects has been reported to be linked to metabolic abnormalities such as altered serum lipid profile parameters. Materials and Methods: This study involved a hundred-one Libyan ART-treated HIV-1 subjects were on Different ART regimens and twenty-one untreated "Naïve" from Benghazi Medical Center and Benghazi center for infectious diseases and immunology during 2018-2019 and seventy age-matched HIV-negative subjects used as control. Aim: to assess total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), lipoproteins and other investigations such as viral load, CD4 and CD8. Results; TC, TG and LDL-C levels of HIV positive (122) subjects were highly significant (P <0.001) increased compared to HIV-negative subjects, whereas, HDL-C and LDL/HDL risk ratio were not significantly altered. TC, TG and LDL-C in the 4 ART-treated HIV subgroups were significantly (P <0.001) increased compared with ARV-Naïve and control groups. The CD4 count in the ARV treated-HIV subjects were significantly (P <0.014) lower compared CD4 count of untreated HIV group. Conclusion: The findings in the present study were in accordance with many other studies and suggests an association between HIV and dyslipidemia (specifically when protease inhibitor used) that is potentiated by receiving ART regimens. Monitoring lipid profile continuously become a necessity during the ART application.