Assessment of energy status in people living with HIV/AIDS under antiretroviral treatment in Lubumbashi city, DR Congo

Introduction: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection constitutes a major public health and development problem in sub-Saharan African countries in general and in Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) in particular. In these countries, people living with HIV have increased energy needs in part because of prevailing malnutrition and food insecurity.
Objective: To assess energy status in people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWH) under antiretroviral treatment (ART) in the city of Lubumbashi in DR Congo.
Methods: We selected 60 individuals received for consultation at the university clinics of Lubumbashi, among whom 20 were PLWH under ART, 20 were PLWH not yet undergoing treatment and 20 healthy individuals who we considered as controls. Venous blood samples were taken from the 60 individuals and, after centrifugation, the serum obtained was used for glucose and triglycerides measurements by enzymatic and colorimetric methods. The average results obtained in PLWH under treatment or not and in controls were compared using the Student's t test.
Results: The mean serum concentrations of glucose and triglycerides obtained in PLWH under ART, in PLWH without treatment and in controls were 76.0 ± 10.67 mg/dl and 89.6 ± 37.49 mg/dl; 71.5 ± 9.85 mg/dl and 96.5 ± 23.25 mg/dl; 78.1 ± 8.41 mg/dl and 68.1± 26.86 mg/dl, respectively.
The average glycemia obtained in PLWH not yet treated was significantly lower (P < 0.05) than that obtained in PLWH under ART and in controls, while the average triglyceridemia observed in PLWH under ART or not was significantly higher (P < 0.05) than that observed in controls.
Conclusion: The study showed that in the precarious socio-economic conditions of DR Congo, HIV/AIDS infection is accompanied by an increase in energy needs and the body of PLWH faces this by mobilizing reserves, lipids, represented by triglycerides. This mobilization is more important in PLWH without ART.