Summary
Patients infected with HIV are at increased risk of atherosclerosis, and have evidence
of endothelium dysfunction. The hypothesis was tested that HIV-related endothelium
dysfunction is related to loss of antioxidants. This was done by the supplementation
of the antioxidants selenium and beta-carotene. We supplemented the diet of 10 HIV-sero-positive
subjects with 100 μg selenium daily, 11 subjects with 30 mg beta-carotene twice daily
while 15 subjects were not supplemented. Plasma was obtained at outset and after a
year, and tested by ELISA for endothelial cell, platelet and inflammatory markers.
The non-supplemented patients experienced increases in von Wille-brand factor and
soluble thrombomodulin (both p < 0.01). There were no changes in any of the indices
in the patients taking selenium or beta-carotene.
Increased von Willebrand factor and soluble thrombomodulin in the non-supplemented
patients imply increased damage to the endothelium over the year of the study. Therefore
we interpret the lack of increase in the patients taking antioxidants as evidence
of the protection of the endothelium by these agents.
