Abstract:
Back ground: HIV related inflammation is associated with an increased risk of getting
Glucose metabolic disorders, however there is limited data linking inflammation and
glucose metabolic disorder in Sub Saharan Africa.
Objectives: To determine the levels of inflammatory markers among HIV positive
patients with glucose metabolic disorders and those without glucose metabolic disorders.
Methods: A comparative cross-sectional study was carried out at the infectious disease
control clinic (IDC) in Tanzania from March to May 2018. Purposive sampling was used
to obtain participants who had undetectable viral load, on 1st line ART and had taken
their last meal >8hrs ago. The WHO step wise questionnaire was used to collect
demographic, and social behavioral characteristics. Physical measurements were done to
determine blood pressure, BMI and waist to height ratio. Blood samples were collected to
test for inflammatory markers (IL6 and CRP) and blood glucose. Statistical analysis was
done using Statistical Package Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23. Chi square was used to
measure the association, and binary Logistic regression was used to estimate the odds
ratio. A p value less than 5% was statistically significant.
Results: A total of 240 participants were enrolled. Of those enrolled, 42% percent were
overweight/obese (>25kg/m2) and 89% had a high waist to height ratio. The median ART
duration was 8 (5-10) years. The prevalence of glucose metabolic disorders among the
HIV population was 33%. Those who had inflammation (CRP) and glucose metabolic
disorders (46%) were two times the number of those who had inflammation without
glucose metabolic (28%) (P-value – 0.019). CRP was associated with a 1.95 fold
increased odds of having glucose metabolic disorders. (OR-1.95 (1.09-4.3) (p=0.019).
We did not find a significant association between IL-6 and glucose metabolic disorder.
Conclusion: There was a significant difference in the levels of inflammation (CRP)
among those with glucose metabolic disorders compared to those without.
Recommendation: Further studies are required with a bigger sample size and a control
group.
