Mitochondrial DNA decrease in subcutaneous adipose tissue of HIV-infected individuals with peripheral lipoatrophy

Objective: To determine whether the peripheral fat wasting (lipodystrophy), which is seen in association with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HA ART) that includes a nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI), is associated with a decrease in subcutaneous adipose tissue mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) content or with large mtDNA deletions or insertions. Design: A four cohort cross-sectional study. Methods: The mtDNA content of subcutaneous fat tissue from the neck, abdome n and thigh was determined by polymerase chain reaction utilizing the ampli fication of three different mtDNA fragments. The results from HIV-infected patients with peripheral fat wasting following more than 6 months of NRTI-c ontaining HAART were compared with the results from three different control cohorts: HIV-infected patients with a similar treatment history without li podystrophy; HIV-infected patients naive to antiretroviral therapy and HIV sero-negative participants. Results: A decrease in mtDNA content was found in HAART-treated HIV-infecte d patients with peripheral fat wasting in comparison with subjects in the c ontrol cohorts. No large mitochondrial deletions or insertions were found. Conclusions: Lipodystrophy with peripheral fat wasting following treatment with NRTI-containing HAART is associated with a decrease in subcutaneous ad ipose tissue mtDNA content. (C) 2001 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.