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Anti-inflammatory effect of rosuvastatin in patients with HIV infection: An FDG-PET pilot study

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Journal of Nuclear Cardiology Aims and scope

Abstract

Aims

This study aimed to evaluate markers of systemic as well as imaging markers of inflammation in the ascending aorta, bone marrow, and spleen measured by 18F-FDG PET/CT, in HIV+ patients at baseline and following therapy with rosuvastatin.

Methods and results

Of the 35 HIV+ patients enrolled, 17 were randomized to treatment with 10 mg/day rosuvastatin and 18 to usual care for 6 months. An HIV− control cohort was selected for baseline comparison of serum inflammatory markers and monocyte markers of inflammation. 18F-FDG-PET/CT imaging of bone marrow, spleen, and thoracic aorta was performed in the HIV+ cohort at baseline and 6 months. While CD14++CD16− and CCR2 expressions were reduced, serum levels of IL-7, IL-8, and MCP-1 were elevated in the HIV+ population compared to the controls. There was a significant drop in FDG uptake in the bone marrow (TBRmax), spleen (SUVmax) and thoracic aortic (TBRmax) in the statin-treated group compared to the control group (bone marrow: − 10.3 ± 16.9% versus 5.0 ± 18.9%, p = .0262; spleen: − 9.8 ± 20.3% versus 11.3 ± 28.8%, p = .0497; thoracic aorta: − 19.1 ± 24.2% versus 4.3 ± 15.4%, p = .003).

Conclusions

HIV+ patients had significantly markers of systemic inflammation including monocyte activation. Treatment with low-dose rosuvastatin in the HIV+ cohort significantly reduced bone marrow, spleen and thoracic aortic FDG uptake.

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Abbreviations

18-FDG:

18F-fluorodeoxyglucose

ART:

Anti-retroviral therapy

CVD:

Cardiovascular disease

HIV:

Human immunodeficiency virus

MI:

Myocardial infarction

IL:

Interleukin

LDL:

Low-density lipoprotein

PET/CT:

Positron emission tomography/computed tomography

SUVmax :

Maximum standardized uptake value

TBRmax :

Target to background ratio

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by Ontario HIV Treatment Network (OHTN) grant support ($374252). KEB is supported by a CIHR Fellowship Award. RSBB was a Career Investigator supported but the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario, the UOHI Vered Chair of Cardiology and a University of Ottawa Distinguished Chair of Cardiovascular Imaging Research. PM is supported by a Research Chair from the OHTN. GD was supported by a CIHR new investigator salary support award (supported by OHTN) while at UOHI.

Funding

Ontario HIV Treatment Network.

Author information

Author notes

  1. Paul MacPherson and Girish Dwivedi are co-senior author.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa Heart Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada

    Kevin E. Boczar MD, Jerry Wang BSc, Gary R. Small DM, PhD, Robert A. deKemp PhD, Rob S. B. Beanlands MD & Girish Dwivedi DM, PhD, MRCP (UK)

  2. School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada

    Kevin E. Boczar MD

  3. The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada

    Elliot Faller PhD, Wanzhen Zeng MD, Vicente F. Corrales-Medina MD & Paul MacPherson MD, PhD

  4. Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada

    Elliot Faller PhD, Wanzhen Zeng MD, Jerry Wang BSc, Gary R. Small DM, PhD, Vicente F. Corrales-Medina MD, Robert A. deKemp PhD, Rob S. B. Beanlands MD & Paul MacPherson MD, PhD

  5. School of Public Health, Curtin University, Perth, Australia

    Natalie C. Ward PhD

  6. School of Medicine, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia

    Natalie C. Ward PhD & Girish Dwivedi DM, PhD, MRCP (UK)

  7. Department of Advanced Clinical and Translational Cardiovascular Imaging, Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Murdoch, Australia

    Girish Dwivedi DM, PhD, MRCP (UK)

  8. Department of Cardiology, Fiona Stanley Hospital, Murdoch, WA, 6009, Australia

    Girish Dwivedi DM, PhD, MRCP (UK)

  9. School of Biomedical Sciences at Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia

    Girish Dwivedi DM, PhD, MRCP (UK)

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  1. Kevin E. Boczar MD
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Correspondence to Girish Dwivedi DM, PhD, MRCP (UK).

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Boczar, K.E., Faller, E., Zeng, W. et al. Anti-inflammatory effect of rosuvastatin in patients with HIV infection: An FDG-PET pilot study. J. Nucl. Cardiol. 29, 3057–3068 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12350-021-02830-4

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