Association of lopinavir concentrations with plasma lipid or glucose concentrations in HIV-infected South Africans: a cross sectional study

Dyslipidaemia and dysglycaemia have been associated with exposure to ritonavir-boosted protease inhibitors. Lopinavir/ritonavir, the most commonly used protease inhibitor in resource-limited settings, often causes dyslipidaemia. There are contradictory data regarding the association between lopinavir concentrations and changes in lipids.

To investigate associations between plasma lopinavir concentrations and lipid and glucose concentrations in HIV-infected South African adults.

Participants stable on lopinavir-based antiretroviral therapy were enrolled into a cross-sectional study. After an overnight fast, total cholesterol, triglycerides, and lopinavir concentrations were measured and an oral glucose tolerance test was performed. Regression analyses were used to determine associations between plasma lopinavir concentrations and fasting and 2 hour plasma glucose, fasting cholesterol, and triglycerides concentrations.

There were 84 participants (72 women) with a median age of 36 years. The median blood pressure, body mass index and waist: hip ratio were 108/72 mmHg, 26 kg/m² and 0.89 respectively. The median CD4 count was 478 cells/mm³. Median duration on lopinavir was 18.5 months. The median (interquartile range) lopinavir concentration was 8.0 (5.2 to 12.8) μg/mL. Regression analyses showed no significant association between lopinavir pre-dose concentrations and fasting cholesterol (β-coefficient −0.04 (95% CI −0.07 to 0.00)), triglycerides (β-coefficient −0.01 (95% CI −0.04 to 0.02)), fasting glucose (β-coefficient −0.01 (95% CI −0.04 to 0.02)), or 2-hour glucose concentrations (β-coefficient −0.02 (95% CI −0.09 to 0.06)). Lopinavir concentrations above the median were not associated with presence of dyslipidaemia or dysglycaemia.

There was no association between lopinavir plasma concentrations and plasma lipid and glucose concentrations.