The aim of our study is to assess the lower limb venous vessel thickness in patients with HIV and to link observed values to laboratory inflammatory and thrombophilia marker, in order to observe if HIV vasculitis may actually induce abnormalities also in venous vessel . Because of the increased incidence of venous involvement in HIV patients, and of the relative lack of clinical and phisiopathologic data o the subject in literature, a better understanding of hypercoagulability of HIV -infected patients is urgently needed ( Jackson 2019).
We propose a cross-sectional study . Routine laboratory tests for all patients and healthy controls, including complete blood count, fasting plasma glucose, and liver and renal function tests . Histories of traditional risk factors as hypertension ,hyperlipidaemia,and diabete mellitus will be recorded in n electronic data base. Thrombophilic risk factors or antiphospholipid antibodies will be screened.History of venous thrombosis or varicose veins will be an exclusion criteria.
Patients will be enrolled during the following 12 mounths from approvation of project from Ethical Committee.
The epidemiology of HIV has changed significantly over the past 2 decades .Antiretroviral therapy , by controlling viral burden and restoring immune function , has transformed HIV infection into a chronic disease improving patient's survival.(Hsue 2018).
According to a recently published meta-analysis ,patients living with HIV may have a relative risk of 2 for cardiovascular conditions when compared to other high cardiovascular risk groups such as diabetes mellitus (Shah 2018).This increase in relative is partially due to traditional cardiovascular risk factor , but also to disease -specific factors such as effects of medications and last, but not least , immune activation and inflammation , explaining why traditional charts may be insufficient in quantifying risk in this setting (Triant 2018). Still there is need for studies that may investigate venous involvement by HIV and its manifestation.Deep venous thrombosis (DVT) is a common and serious cardiovascular disease associated with higher hospital admission rates and death .
Previous studies have reported a higher risk of venous thromboembolism in HIV infected patients than in the general population.
Additionally, we will analyse if and how the ultrasound findings may be linked to laboratory inflammatory marker in patients and in controls.
Venous vessel thickness may be a useful potential thrombophilia marker in HIV patients ,and the aim of our study is to assess its value for this purpose in this specific field of infectious disease , as it has been recently studied and confirmed in the autoimmune field.