؉ -T-cell responses correlated with plasma viral load. We conclude that a peptide matrix-based Elispot assay allows for rapid, sensitive, specific, and efficient assessment of cellular immune responses directed against the entire expressed HIV-1 genome. These data also suggest that the impact of T-cell responses on control of viral replication cannot be explained by the mere quantification of the magnitude and breadth of the CD8 ؉ -T-cell response, even if a comprehensive pan-genome screening approach is applied.

We evaluated metabolic and clinical features of 71 HIV-infected patients with lipodystrophy by comparing them with 213 healthy control subjects, matched for age and body mass index, from the Framingham Offspring Study. Thirty HIV-infected patients without fat redistribution were compared separately with 90 matched control subjects from the Framingham Offspring Study. Fasting glucose, insulin, and lipid levels; glucose and insulin response to standard oral glucose challenge; and anthropometric measurements were determined. HIV-infected patients with lipodystrophy demonstrated significantly increased waist-to-hip ratios, fasting insulin levels, and diastolic blood pressure compared with controls. Patients with lipodystrophy were more likely to have impaired glucose tolerance, diabetes, hypertriglyceridemia, and reduced levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol than were controls. With the exception of HDL cholesterol level, these risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) were markedly attenuated in patients without lipodystrophy and were not significantly different in comparison with controls. These data demonstrate a metabolic syndrome characterized by profound insulin resistance and hyperlipidemia. CVD risk factors are markedly elevated in HIV-infected patients with fat redistribution.

This study suggests that a relatively low dosage of metformin reduces insulin resistance and related cardiovascular risk parameters in HIV-infected patients with lipodystrophy. JAMA. 2000;284:472-477