Hepatic γ-Cystathionase Deficiency in Patients With AIDS

Redox imbalance is related to HIV and pregnancy

“…Thus, both infection and pregnancy seem to influence this pro-oxidant action. Considering only HIV infection, our results of higher carbonation and decreased SOD and CAT activities in HIV-positive women are corroborated by other studies that show higher oxidative stress in this population compared to uninfected people, which is a consequence of both the viral effect [34] and ART [8,9,35].…”

Investigation of the levels of oxidative stress parameters in HIV and HIV-TB co-infected patients

“…This observation may indicate the chronic inflammatory state of HIV naive patients which will definitely enhance their state of oxidative stress. Although there was a reduced level of plasma protein in HIV patients on HAART, antiretroviral therapy has also been known to increase chemically reactive species in circulation, possibly by producing more oxidized metabolites deriving from the interaction between ROS and infected-cell biomolecules as reported by Martín et al, [21], Hulgan et al, [22], and Lizette et al, [23]. This argument may be substantiated by the report of FriisMoller et al [14], which showed that HIV-infected patients are in oxidative imbalance early in the disease; serum and tissue anti-oxidants levels are low and peroxidation products elevated.…”

Sulfur Metabolism in AIDS: Cystamine as an Anti-HIV Agent

“…The cause of the sulfur depletion may be related to the finding that the activity of the enzyme, cystathionase, was greatly decreased in the livers of three AIDS patients. 2 This is an important finding needing confirmation in more cases and in more tissues. A generalized decrease in cystathionase activity could have important consequences in AIDS patients: (1) the block in the transulfuration pathway would deprive the cells of methionine-derived cysteine, (2) cystathionine would be lost in the urine contributing to the observed sulfur depletion, and (3) the decreased generation of sulfane sulfur from cystine through the action of cystathionase would deprive lymphocytes of an important regulatory factor (as described below).…”