Effect of vitamin A and vitamin C supplementation on oxidative stress in HIV and HIV-TB co-infection at Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) Nigeria.

Oluwamayowa Makinde1, Kunle Rotimi, Victor Ikumawoyi ,Titilope Adeyemo, Sunday Olayemi.

1. Department of Pharmacology, Therapeutics and Toxicology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of
Medicine, University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria.
2. Department of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, Faculty of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine,
University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria.

Abstract
Background:HIV and TB infections are both associated with elevated oxidative stress parameters. Anti-oxidant supplementation may offer beneficial effects in positively modulating oxidative stress parameters in HIV and HIV-TB infected patients. We investigated the effects of vitamin A and C supplementation on oxidative stress in HIV infected and HIV-TB co-infected subjects.

Methods: 40 HIV/TB co-infected and 50 HIV mono-infected patients were divided into 2 equal groups. Participants provided  demographic information and blood was collected to determine oxidative stress parameters before and after vitamin A (5000 IU) and C (2600 mg) supplementation for 1 month.

Results:There was a significantly (p < 0.05) higher level of Malondialdehyde (MDA) at baseline for HIV infected subjects compared with HIV-TB co-infected subjects. There was a significantly (p < 0.05) lower level of MDA and higher level of Catalase (CAT) in subjects administered supplementation compared to subjects without supplementation for the HIV infected group.

There was a significantly lower level of Reduced Glutathione (GSH), Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) and higher level of MDA after one month of supplementation compared with baseline levels for HIV/TB co infected subjects. A similar result was also obtained for the HIV mono-infected groups which had a significantly lower level of SOD, MDA and CAT compared to the baseline. There was a significantly lower level of GSH and SOD, and higher level of MDA after supplementation compared with the baseline for HIV/TB co-infected subjects.Comparing the indices at baseline and post no-supplementation in HIV/TB co-infection showed no significant differences in the oxidative stress parameters

Conclusion: HIV/TB co-infection and HIV mono-infection seems to diminish the capacity of the anti-oxidant system to control oxidative stress, however exogenous anti-oxidant supplementation appears not to have beneficial roles in positively modulating the associated oxidative stress.

Keywords: Oxidative stress, HIV, TB, anti-oxidants, vitamin A,vitamin C.