Increased Red Cell Corpuscular Volume and Hepatic Mitochondrial Function in NRTI-Treated HIV Infected Patients

An increase of the mean corpuscular volume of the red blood cells has been repeatedly described in antiretroviral treated patients. Most commonly macrocytosis was associated with the use of certain nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors. The aim of this study was to analyse if macrocytosis might be a marker of mitochondrial toxicity in antiretrovirally treated HIV-infected patients. Using the 13C-methionine breath test we analysed the hepatic mitochondrial function in vivo in antiretrovirally treated HIV-infected patients with macrocytosis. MCV was significantly negatively correlated to the breath test results. For the first time we could show a significant association between an increase of the mean corpuscular erythrocyte volume by treatment with nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTI) and the hepatic mitochondrial function in vivo.