UC Davis

Background

Disordered bone mineral metabolism and low vitamin D concentrations are associated with cardiovascular abnormalities; few studies have evaluated this relationship in HIV-infected youth.

Setting

The Adolescent Master Protocol is a Pediatric HIV/AIDS Cohort Study network study conducted across 14 US sites.

Methods

Among perinatally HIV-infected (PHIV) and perinatally HIV-exposed but uninfected (PHEU) youth enrolled in the Adolescent Master Protocol, we evaluated associations of vitamin D [measured as 25-hydroxy-vitamin D (25-OHD)], parathyroid hormone (PTH), calcium, phosphate, and fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF-23) concentrations with echocardiographic measures of left ventricular (LV) structure, function, and concentrations of NT-proBNP, a biomarker of cardiac damage.

Results

Among 485 participants (305 PHIV and 180 PHEU) with echocardiograms and bone mineralization measures, low 25-OHD (<20 ng/mL) was common among all participants (48% PHIV and 44% PHEU), but elevated PTH (>65 pg/mL) was identified more often among PHIV participants than PHEU participants (9% vs 3%, P = 0.02). After adjusting for HIV status and demographic covariates, both low 25-OHD and elevated PTH were associated with lower mean LV mass z-scores, whereas elevated PTH was associated with higher mean fractional shortening z-scores. Participants with low 25-OHD also had slightly higher mean LV end-systolic wall stress z-scores, but differences were more pronounced in PHEU participants than in PHIV participants. FGF-23 was inversely related to end-diastolic septal thickness, both overall and among PHIV participants.

Conclusions

In this cohort of PHIV and PHEU youth, we observed associations of 25-OHD, PTH, and FGF-23 with both structural and functional cardiac parameters, supporting links between bone mineral metabolism and cardiac status.