CRP Levels in HIV- and HIV/HCV-Infected Patients

Elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) levels are associated with increased risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD). CRP’s usefulness in predicting CVD risk in HIV-infected and HIV/HCV-coinfected patients, who may have higher rates of CVD than uninfected individuals, is not known. Because CRP is a marker of inflammation, HIV or HCV infection could affect its level. To assess this possible association, investigators compared CRP levels between 1135 HIV-infected patients enrolled in a cross-sectional study (of whom 22% were HCV-coinfected) and 251 HIV-uninfected controls.

The median CRP level was almost twice as high in HIV-monoinfected men as in control men (1.67 vs. 0.88; P<0.0001). Overall, 32% of HIV-infected men had CRP levels in the CDC/America…