Lower bone density and microarchitecture alterations in HIV‐infected Brazilian men aged 50 years and older are associated with estradiol levels

• Published in: Clinical endocrinology (Oxford) Vol. 97; no. 1; pp. 142 - 149
• Main Authors: Oliveira, Felipe P., Lima, Luis F. C., de Paula Paranhos Neto, Francisco, de Mendonça, Laura M. C., Schtscherbyna, Annie, de Lima, Luiz A. A., Fonseca, Branca A., Madeira, Miguel, Luiz, Ronir R., Neto, Leonardo V., Farias, Maria L. F., Machado, Elizabeth S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01-07-2022
• Subjects: 17β-Estradiol; 25-Hydroxyvitamin D; Absorptiometry, Photon - methods; Aged; Body composition; Body fat; Body mass index; Bone composition; Bone Density; Bone Diseases, Metabolic; Bone mineral density; Brazil; Calcium (blood); Calcium phosphates; Cancellous bone; cART; Computed tomography; Cortical bone; Creatinine; Estradiol; HIV; HIV Infections - drug therapy; HR‐pQCT; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Osteoporosis; Parathyroid hormone; Patients; Radius; sex steroids; Testosterone; Brazil; sex steroids; HR-pQCT; body composition; HIV; osteoporosis; cART
• ISSN: 0300-0664; 1365-2265
• DOI: 10.1111/cen.14752

Objective
Combination antiretroviral treatment (cART) allows for longer survival for people living with HIV and hence long‐term complications of both disease and treatment are common. Our purpose was to evaluate bone alterations in men living with HIV (MLWH) and receiving cART and to identify associated factors that can be corrected or mitigated.
Patients and Design
Thirty MLWH and 36 healthy controls (≥50 years) were studied for areal bone mineral density (aBMD) and body composition (dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry), volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD) and bone microstructure (high‐resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography [HR‐pQCT]), serum calcium, phosphate, parathyroid hormone, 25(OH)D, testosterone (T), estradiol (E2), glucose, creatinine, and albumin levels.
Results
The proportion of patients classified as osteoporosis (according to the lowest aBMD T‐score) was higher among MLWH as compared to controls (17.9% vs. 5.9%, p = .011). The MLWH showed significant alterations in cortical and trabecular bone on HR‐pQCT, which were not associated with the duration of HIV infection or cART. These differences in vBMD and bone microstructure seen in HR‐pQCT persisted in the nonosteoporotic MLWH as compared to nonosteoporotic control subjects. Body mass index (BMI) and fat mass were lower in MLWH and positively associated with total vBMD, cortical bone area, and thickness. E2 and E2/T ratios were lower in MLWH than in controls and significantly correlated with several cortical and trabecular bone parameters. Multivariate regression analysis entering simultaneously age, BMI, and E2 defined that E2 is an independent influence on bone parameters evaluated by HR‐pQCT.
Conclusion
MLWH have alterations in bone volumetric density and microstructure when compared with controls, irrespective of aBMD, which are associated with lower E2 and BMI.