Authors
Guliz Evik, Mete Ucdal, Gulden Ersoz
Published in
Medicine. Volume 105. Issue 33. Pages e50244. Aug 14, 2026.
Abstract
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection causes gut epithelial barrier dysfunction and dyslipidemia. Intestinal fatty acid-binding protein (I-FABP) and regenerating islet-derived protein 3 alpha (REG3α) are markers of gut barrier integrity. We investigated the association between these biomarkers and LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) in HIV-infected individuals, stratified by immune status and disease duration. This cross-sectional study included 69 HIV-infected adults on antiretroviral therapy. Plasma I-FABP, REG3α, and lipid parameters were measured. Associations were evaluated using Spearman correlation in the total cohort and stratified by cluster of differentiation 4 (CD4) count (<350, 350-500, >500 cells/μL) and disease duration (≤24, 24-48, >48 months). In the total cohort (n = 50 with lipid data), neither I-FABP (rs = -0.044, P = .762) nor REG3α (rs = 0.232, P = .105) showed a significant correlation with LDL-C. However, in patients with CD4 < 350 cells/μL (n = 12), REG3α demonstrated a strong positive correlation with LDL-C (rs = 0.643, P = .024). This association was absent in patients with higher CD4 counts (350-500: rs = 0.393, P = .383; >500: rs = 0.003, P = .985). No significant associations were observed across disease duration strata. REG3α correlates with LDL-C specifically in immunocompromised HIV patients (CD4 < 350 cells/μL), suggesting that gut barrier dysfunction may influence lipid metabolism preferentially in advanced HIV disease. This finding warrants further investigation regarding cardiovascular risk stratification in this vulnerable population.
PMID:
42601778
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 15 Aug 2026.
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