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. 2006 May;61(5):601-4.
doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2125.2006.02619.x.

Long-term and concentration-dependent beneficial effect of efavirenz on HDL-cholesterol in HIV-infected patients

Sofia A Pereira  1 , Teresa Branco, Rita M Côrte-Real, Isabel Germano, Fátima Lampreia, Umbelina Caixas, Emília C Monteiro
Affiliations

Long-term and concentration-dependent beneficial effect of efavirenz on HDL-cholesterol in HIV-infected patients

Sofia A Pereira et al. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2006 May.

Abstract

Aims: To investigate the long-term effects of efavirenz on cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C) and triglycerides (TG).

Methods: Thirty-four HIV-infected patients who commenced efavirenz therapy were monitored for 36 months.

Results: In patients with baseline HDL-C<40 mg.dL-1 an increase in HDL-C from 31+/-1 mg.dL-1 to 44+/-2 mg.dL-1 (95% confidence interval 5.9, 21.9, P<0.01) was observed and remained throughout the follow-up period. Median efavirenz plasma concentration was 1.98 mg.L-1 and a direct correlation between percentage of HDL-C variation or TC/HDL-C ratio and efavirenz plasma concentrations was found.

Conclusions: There is evidence of a long-term and concentration-dependent beneficial effect of efavirenz on HDL-C in HIV-infected patients.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Time course effects of antiretroviral therapy with efavirenz on high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) concentrations stratified by baseline values of HDL-C. Month zero corresponds to baseline values before starting efavirenz. □, Patients with baseline concentrations of HDL-C ≥40 mg· dL−1 (n = 9–13); ▪, patients with baseline concentrations of HDL-C <40 mg·dL−1 (n = 16–21); ▾, total (n = 25–34). Each point represents mean value ± SEM. *P < 0.05; **P < 0.01 Dunnett's test comparing each monthly mean with baseline value
Figure 2
Figure 2
Correlation between efavirenz plasma concentrations and changes in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) from month 12 to month 36. 0% HDL-C variation corresponds to baseline HDL-C concentration for each patient before initiating the therapy with efavirenz. (A) Data corresponding to all the individual samples (n = 76) obtained from 34 patients (Spearman r = 0.3872, P = 0.0005; r2 = 0.3735; P < 0.0001). (B) Mean values of plasma concentrations and percentage HDL-C variation per patient (n = 34; Pearson r = 0.6258, P < 0.0001; r2 = 0.3916; P < 0.0001)
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