Early changes in bone turnover and inflammatory biomarkers and clinically significant bone mineral density loss over 48 weeks among HIV‐infected patients with virological failure of a standard first‐line antiretroviral therapy regimen in the SECOND‐LINE study

Objectives We assessed whether changes at week 12 in markers of bone turnover, inflammation, and immune activation were associated with clinically important (≥ 5%) bone mineral density (BMD) loss from baseline to week 48 at the proximal femur (hip) and lumbar spine in the SECOND‐LINE study. Methods We measured concentrations of procollagen type 1 pro‐peptide (P1NP), carboxyl‐terminal collagen crosslinks (CTX), high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein (hs‐CRP), D‐dimer, interleukin (IL)‐6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF), neopterin, and soluble CD14 and 163 at weeks 0, 12, and 48 in 123 SECOND‐LINE dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry (DXA) substudy participants. Linear regression was used to compare changes in biomarkers. Predictors of ≥ 5% BMD loss were examined using multivariable regression. Results The mean age was 38 years, the mean CD4 T‐cell count was 252 cells/µL and the mean viral load was 4.2 log HIV‐1 RNA copies/mL; 56% of participants were female and 47% were randomized to receive a nucleos(t)ide reverse transcriptase inhibitor [N(t)RTI]‐based regimen [91% (53/58) were randomized to receive a tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF)‐containing regimen]. Over 48 weeks, 71% in the N(t)RTI arm experienced ≥ 5% hip BMD loss vs. 29% in the raltegravir arm (P = 0.001). Week 12 changes in P1NP and CTX were significantly greater among patients experiencing ≥ 5% hip BMD loss, patients randomized to N(t)RTI, and male patients. Predictors of ≥ 5% hip BMD loss at week 48 were P1NP increase [odds ratio (OR) 5.0; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.1–27; P