VITAMIN-A LEVELS AND HUMAN-IMMUNODEFICIENCY-VIRUS LOAD IN INJECTION-DRUG USERS

Although low plasma vitamin A levels are associated with increased mor tality and higher vertical transmission during human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, it is unknown whether plasma low vitamin A leve ls are a marker for circulating HIV load, We conducted a cross-section al study within a prospective cohort study of injection drug users in order to evaluate the relationship between plasma vitamin A levels and HIV viral load. Plasma vitamin A level was measured by high-performan ce liquid chromatography. Infectious viral load was measured by quanti tative microculture of serial fivefold dilutions of 10(6) peripheral b lood mononuclear cells. A total of 284 HIV-infected adults (79 women, 205 men) were studied. Plasma vitamin A levels consistent with deficie ncy were found in 28.9% of adults. A total of 38.0% of women and 25.3% of men had vitamin A deficiency (P < 0.04). The median infectious vir al load for the entire study population was 8 infectious units per mil lion cells, No significant relationship between plasma vitamin A level s and infectious viral load was observed in these injection drug users . This study suggests that there is no correlation between HIV viral l oad and plasma vitamin A levels in injection drug users, and these var iables may represent independent risk factors during HIV infection. HI V-infected adult women appear to be at higher risk of developing vitam in A deficiency.