RANKL/OPG/TRAIL plasma levels and bone mass loss evaluation in antiretroviral naive HIV-1-positive men

J Med Virol. 2007 Oct;79(10):1446-54. doi: 10.1002/jmv.20938.

Abstract

Osteopenia and osteoporosis are common in HIV-1-infected individuals and represent a challenge in clinical and therapeutic management. This report investigated osteopenia/osteoporosis in a group of 31 antiretroviral naive HIV-1-positive men and the role of specific molecules belonging to TNF and the TNF-receptor family in HIV-1-related bone mass loss. Osteoprotegerin (OPG), the receptor activator of NF-kappab-ligand (RANKL), and the TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) were significantly increased in the plasma of antiretroviral naive HIV-1-positive patients compared to a control group of healthy blood donors. In addition, TRAIL and RANKL plasma concentrations were positively correlated to HIV-1-RNA viral load. Measurement of bone mineral density in 20 out of 31 HIV-1-positive subjects disclosed osteopenia/osteoporosis in 40% of these patients. The antiretroviral naive HIV-1-positive subjects with low bone mineral density had a decreased plasma OPG/RANKL ratio and a plasma RANKL concentration >500 pg/ml. Together, these data indicate that plasma concentrations of specific factors involved in bone homeostasis were increased during HIV-1 infection and that RANKL and OPG/RANKL ratio deregulation may be involved in osteopenia/osteoporosis occurring in antiretroviral naive HIV-1 individuals.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Absorptiometry, Photon
  • Adult
  • Bone Density
  • Bone Diseases, Metabolic / diagnosis
  • Bone Diseases, Metabolic / etiology
  • Bone and Bones / metabolism
  • HIV Seropositivity / blood*
  • HIV Seropositivity / complications
  • HIV-1* / genetics
  • HIV-1* / isolation & purification
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Osteoporosis / diagnosis
  • Osteoporosis / etiology
  • Osteoprotegerin / blood*
  • RANK Ligand / blood*
  • TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand / blood*
  • Viral Load

Substances

  • Osteoprotegerin
  • RANK Ligand
  • TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand
  • TNFSF10 protein, human