Abstract: Elevated serum transaminase [alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST)] levels have been reported in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)–infected patients on combination antiretroviral therapy (cART). 100 female patients referred to Virology department of the Jos University teaching Hospital (JUTH), were randomly selected by their physicians on the basis of the following criteria: documented HIV infection, no alcohol abuse (≤ 20 g alcohol daily and no history of chronic alcohol consumption), no history of hereditary and autoimmune liver disease, no evidence of hemochromatosis. Patients with any contraindication for liver biopsy were excluded. Data on demographics, drug or alcohol use, and history of liver diseases were obtained at first visit. Subjects were then classified into control (30), HIV-infected; not on drugs (35) HIV-infected; on drugs (35);a month-by-month documentation of the prescribed drug combination for patients who started medication, provided an avenue for calculating each patient's individual cumulative drug exposure.
[1] F. C. Bonnet, D. Lewden, L. May, Heripret, E. Jougla, Malignancy-related causes of death in human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients in the era of highly active antiretroviral therapy, Cancer, 101, 2004, 317-324.
[2] C. Feldman, Pneumonia associated with HIV infection, Current Opinion on Infectious Diseases, 18, 2005, 165-170.
[3] J. Palefsky, Human papilloma virus infection in HIV-infected persons, Top HIV Med., 15, 2007, 130-133.
[4] J. Watson, Scientists, activists sue South Africa`s AIDS denialists,Nat. Med., 12, 2006, 6-6.
[5] K. A. Gebo, M. Diener-West, R. D. Moore, Hospitalization rates differ by hepatitis C status in an urban HIV cohort, Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome,34, 2003,165-173.
[6] I. Bica, B. McGovern, R. Dhar, D. Stone, K. McGowan, R. Scheib, Increasing mortality due to end-stage liver disease in patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection, Clinical Infectious Diseases, 32, 2001, 492-497.
[7] M. S. Sulkowski, S. H. Mehta, M. Torbenson, N. H. Afdhal, L. Mirel, R. D. Moore, Hepatic steatosis and antiretroviral drug use among adults coinfected with HIV and hepatitis C virus, AIDS, 19, 2005, 585-592.