Inflammation markers correlate with common carotid intima-media thickness in patients perinatally infected with human immunodeficiency virus 1

Objectives-To investigate common carotid intima-media thickness in a cohort of patients who were vertically infected with human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1). Methods-We conducted a cross-sectional observational study. Human immunodeficiency virus 1-infected patients were compared with age-, sex-, and body mass indexmatched healthy participants. Common carotid intima-media thickness was measured in all participants on both sides of the neck, and the mean intima-media thickness was calculated. Metabolic parameters and markers of inflammation were measured only in HIV-1-infected patients. Statistical analysis was performed by multiple regression and by a matrix of Pearson correlation coefficients. The Student t test was used to compare mean common carotid intima-media thickness values between groups. Results-Forty patients (21 female) with HIV-1 infection acquired from birth with a mean age ± SD of 16.3 ± 4.7 years and 27 healthy participants (11 female) with a mean age of 17.7 ± 4.6 years were included in the study. Mean common carotid intima-media thickness in the HIV-1-infected group (0.450 ± 0.088 mm) was significantly higher (P