Sources for Inflammation and Accelerated Aging in Well Controlled HIV Patients on Antiretroviral Therapy

Gnoni ML, Friedstrom S, Blatt

Abstract

After the introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in the middle 1990, the mortality and morbidity of HIV has decreased dramatically. However, even well controlled patients on HAART are now suffering from “accelerated aging” with increased incidence of cardiovascular, respiratory, neurologic, metabolic, renal, and liver disease. Persistent low-level replication, coinfections, deposition of collagen in lymphoid tissue, microbial translocation in the GI and respiratory mucosa, overproduction of cellular debris, and immune-senescence may all contribute to its pathogenicity. Further exploration of these possible mechanisms will help us to define optimal trials to decrease the accelerated aging in HIV patients.