Serum adiponectin in HIV-1 and hepatitis C virus mono- and co-infected Kenyan injection drug users

Eric M Ndombi; Valentine Budambula; Mark K Webale; Francis O Musumba; Jesca O Wesongah; Erick Mibei; Aabid A Ahmed; Raphael Lihana; Tom Were

doi:10.1530/EC-15-0071

Serum adiponectin in HIV-1 and hepatitis C virus mono- and co-infected Kenyan injection drug users

Endocr Connect. 2015 Dec;4(4):223-32. doi: 10.1530/EC-15-0071. Epub 2015 Aug 25.

Authors

Eric M Ndombi¹, Valentine Budambula¹, Mark K Webale¹, Francis O Musumba¹, Jesca O Wesongah¹, Erick Mibei¹, Aabid A Ahmed¹, Raphael Lihana¹, Tom Were²

Affiliations

¹ Bomu HospitalMombasa, KenyaDepartment of PathologyKenyatta University, Nairobi, KenyaDepartment of Environment and Health SciencesTechnical University of Mombasa, Mombasa, KenyaDepartment of Biomedical Sciences and TechnologyMaseno University, Maseno, KenyaDepartment of Medical Laboratory SciencesJomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Juja, KenyaKapkatet CampusUniversity of Kabianga, Kericho, KenyaCentre for Virus ResearchKenya Medical Research Institute, Nairobi, KenyaDepartment of Medical Laboratory SciencesMasinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Post Box 190-50100 Kakamega, Kenya.
² Bomu HospitalMombasa, KenyaDepartment of PathologyKenyatta University, Nairobi, KenyaDepartment of Environment and Health SciencesTechnical University of Mombasa, Mombasa, KenyaDepartment of Biomedical Sciences and TechnologyMaseno University, Maseno, KenyaDepartment of Medical Laboratory SciencesJomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Juja, KenyaKapkatet CampusUniversity of Kabianga, Kericho, KenyaCentre for Virus ResearchKenya Medical Research Institute, Nairobi, KenyaDepartment of Medical Laboratory SciencesMasinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Post Box 190-50100 Kakamega, Kenya mugogwe@yahoo.com.

Abstract

Adiponectin is an important marker of anthropometric profiles of adipose tissue. However, association of adiponectin and adiposity in HIV mono- and co-infected and hepatitis (HCV) injection drug users (IDUs) has not been elucidated. Therefore, the relationship of total adiponectin levels with anthropometric indices of adiposity was examined in HIV mono-infected (anti-retroviral treatment, ART-naive, n=16 and -experienced, n=34); HCV mono-infected, n=36; HIV and HCV co-infected (ART-naive, n=5 and -experienced, n=13); uninfected, n=19 IDUs; and healthy controls, n=16 from coastal Kenya. Anthropometric indices of adiposity were recorded and total circulating adiponectin levels were measured in serum samples using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Adiponectin levels differed significantly amongst the study groups (P<0.0001). Post-hoc analyses revealed decreased levels in HIV mono-infected ART-naive IDUs in comparison to uninfected IDUs (P<0.05) and healthy controls (P<0.05). However, adiponectin levels were elevated in HCV mono-infected IDUs relative to HIV mono-infected ART-naive (P<0.001) and -experienced (P<0.001) as well as HIV and HCV co-infected ART-naive (P<0.05) IDUs. Furthermore, adiponectin correlated with weight (ρ=0.687; P=0.003) and BMI (ρ=0.598; P=0.014) in HIV mono-infected ART-naive IDUs; waist circumference (ρ=-0.626; P<0.0001), hip (ρ=-0.561; P=0.001) circumference, and bust-to-waist ratio (ρ=0.561; P=0.001) in HIV mono-infected ART-experienced IDUs; waist girth (ρ=0.375; P=0.024) in HCV mono-infected IDUs; and waist-to-hip ratio (ρ=-0.872; P=0.048) in HIV and HCV co-infected ART-naive IDUs. Altogether, these results suggest suppression of adiponectin production in treatment-naive HIV mono-infected IDUs and that circulating adiponectin is a useful surrogate marker of altered adiposity in treatment-naive and -experienced HIV and HCV mono- and co-infected IDUs.

Keywords: HIV; adiponectin; anthropometric markers of adiposity; anti-retroviral treatment; hepatitis C virus; injection drug users.