Study Says HAART May Cause Oxidant Stress

A study by Vanderbilt University researchers in the December 15 edition of Clinical Infectious Diseases shows that HIV-positive people on antiretroviral regimens have elevated markers of a key marker for oxidant stress'the generation of free radicals in the body that can damage cells and tissue. The investigators measured levels of F2 isoprostanes, an indicator of free radical development, in 120 HIV-positive people. They discovered that a viral load under 10,000 was significantly associated with higher levels of the oxidant stress marker. Use of the anti-HIV drug Sustiva was particularly associated with a high oxidant stress level. 'These findings suggest that therapeutic control of HIV replication by antiretroviral medications is associated with increased oxidant stress in many patients and that oxidant stress is not increased in patients with uncontrolled viral replication,' the researchers concluded.