Background and Methods: HIV-infected patients receiving antiretroviral therapy often develop changes in body fat distribution; the dominant change is reduction in subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT). Because adipose tissue makes important hormones involved in whole-body energy metabolism, including leptin and adiponectin, we examined plasma concentrations and their relationship to regional adiposity measured by MRI in 1143 HIV-infected persons (803 men and 340 women) and 286 controls (151 men and 135 women) in a cross-sectional analysis of the FRAM study.

Results: Total and regional adiposity correlated positively with leptin levels in HIV-infected subjects and controls (P < 0.0001). In controls, total and regional adiposity correlated negatively with adiponectin. In HIV-infected subjects, adiponectin was not significantly correlated with total adiposity, but the normal negative correlation with visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and upper trunk SAT was maintained. However, leg SAT was positively associated with adiponectin in HIV-infected subjects. Within the lower decile of leg SAT for controls, HIV-infected subjects had paradoxically lower adiponectin concentrations compared to controls (Men: HIV 4.1 µg/mL vs. Control 7.5 µg/mL, P = 0.009; Women: HIV 7.8 µg/mL vs. Control 11.6 µg/mL, P = 0.037). Even after controlling for leg SAT, exposure to stavudine was associated with lower adiponectin, predominantly in those with lipoatrophy.

Conclusion: The normal relationships between adiponectin levels and total and leg adiposity are lost in HIV-infected subjects, possibly due to changes in adipocyte function associated with HIV lipodystrophy, whereas the inverse association of adiponectin and VAT is maintained. In contrast, the relationship between adiposity and leptin levels appears similar to controls and unaffected by HIV lipodystrophy.