DIET-INDUCED THERMOGENESIS IN HIV-INFECTION

Objective: To assess whether postprandial dietary thermogenesis contri butes to weight loss during HIV infection. Methods: The thermogenic re sponse to a test meal (15 kcal/kg) was evaluated with indirect calorim etry in 16 HIV-infected patients in a stable condition and compared wi th a control group. Patients were compared according to AIDS (n = 8) o r non-AIDS (n = 8) status and to body weight loss (WL; n = 9) or no lo ss (NL; n = 7). Indirect calorimetry was performed after fasting 6 h a nd during 5 h after the test meal. Results: Maximum value of energy ex penditure was reached later in the WL group than in the control and NL group (200 versus 30 min, respectively). Energy expenditure returned to the initial value 300 min after the test meal (last measurement) in the control group but remained elevated in the patient group. Energy expenditure after food intake was more elevated in HIV-infected patien ts than in controls, especially in patients with detectable clinical c hange in their nutritional status (0.96 versus 0.72 kcal/kg body weigh t). Conclusion: Both kinetics and quantitative aspect of dietary therm ogenesis are modified during HIV infection and the different variation s are dependant on the extent of body weight loss.