Short‐term in vivo modifications of platelet NADPH oxidase 2 (NOX2) and prostaglandin F2α in HIV‐1 patients on abacavir‐based therapies

Objectives The aim of the study was to investigate the in vivo effect of abacavir (ABC) on platelet oxidative stress. Methods We performed a randomized pilot study including 39 HIV‐1‐infected patients, 17 on zidovudine/lamivudine (ZDV/3TC) and 22 on tenofovir/emtricitabine (TDF/FTC). Ten patients on ZDV/3TC and eight patients on TDF/FTC were randomly allocated to switching the nucleoside backbone to ABC/3TC. At baseline and after 6 months, platelet oxidative stress was assessed by platelet NADPH oxidase 2 (NOX2)‐derived peptide (sNOX2‐dp), a marker of NOX2 activation, and platelet prostaglandin F2α (8‐iso‐PGF2α). Platelet activation was measured by soluble CD40L (sCD40L). Results At baseline, no differences between ZDV/3TC or TDF/FTC recipients were found. After 6 months, patients switching from ZDV/3TC showed a decrease of sNOX2‐dp (from 20.9±5.7 to 12.5±3.8 pg/ml, p=0.002) and 8‐iso‐PGF2α (from 154.3±41.9 to 122.9±28.0 pmol/l, p=0.025). No effects on platelet oxidative stress biomarkers were observed in subjects from TDF/FTC, who showed a significant increase in blood glucose (p=0.043) and total cholesterol (p=0.027). ABC showed no effect on sCD40L levels in both groups. Conclusions ABC reduced platelet sNOX2‐dp and 8‐iso‐PGF2α in HIV‐1 subjects switching from ZDV/3TC but not in those from TDF/FTC after 6 months. No changes in platelet activation were found in both groups.