High frequency of vitamin D deficiency in HIV-infected patients: effects of HIV-related factors and antiretroviral drugs.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to assess 25-hydroxyvitamin D (vitamin D) status in an HIV-infected adult population and to define HIV- and antiretroviral-related factors associated with vitamin D deficiency.

METHODS

Using data from a prospective cohort of HIV-infected adult patients followed in five French centres (Dat'AIDS cohort), we evaluated the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency (<30 ng/mL). A multiple linear regression model was used to examine risk factors for vitamin D deficiency (≤10 ng/mL).

RESULTS

Vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency was observed in 86.7% of the 2994 patients, including 55.6% with vitamin D insufficiency and 31.1% with vitamin D deficiency. In multivariate analysis, factors associated with vitamin D deficiency were current smoking [adjusted OR (aOR) 1.55], estimated glomerular filtration rate ≥90 mL/min/1.73 m(2) (aOR 1.51), vitamin D measurement not performed in summer (aOR 0.27), CD4 <350 cells/mm(3) (aOR 1.37 for CD4 200 to <350 and 1.62 for CD4 <200 cells/mm(3)) and antiretroviral therapy (aOR 2.61). Gender, body mass index, age, coinfection and previous AIDS were not associated factors. In the antiretroviral-treated population (n = 2660), besides the same factors found in the whole population, efavirenz was the only drug to be significantly associated with deficiency, with an aOR of 1.89 (95% CI 1.45-2.47).

CONCLUSIONS

Vitamin D deficiency is frequent in this HIV-infected population. Patients on antiretroviral therapy are at higher risk of vitamin D deficiency than antiretroviral-naive patients, with an increased risk in patients receiving efavirenz. No effect of the other antiretrovirals, including the latest (etravirine, darunavir, raltegravir), was found.