‘Antiretroviral Drugs, Harmful to Liver Enzymes’

Studies on the effects of long term use of Antiretroviral drugs used by treating HIV people living with HIV (PLWHA) have shown to be harmful to the liver enzymes.

Dr. E. A. Akintayo of the Department of Laboratory Sciences, University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, who made the disclosure at a health symposium in Port Harcourt, said “the liver enzymes, Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alkaline phosphatase (Alkphos), considered to be biochemicals, were found to have increased in PLWHA regularly from baseline to 3 months, and increased rapidly within 6 months)”.

He further said total bilirubin concentration in such people was on the increase.

According to him, the drugs,  used as a combination therapy, do not actually eradicate the virus, but suppress them, thereby changing the prognosis of HIV infection.

Consequently, he said, long term use of the drugs is required to keep the viral load of infected persons under control.

Akintayo continued that the liver, considered to be the major organ  involved in the biotransformation of many structurally and chemically diverse compounds in the body, is the central organ of metabolism and acts as storage organ as well. 

Furthermore, he said its metabolic action makes it an important defense system against  toxicants and impurities in the blood system, noting that its  susceptibility  to damage by chemical agents is presumably a consequence of its primary role in the metabolism of foreign substances, which exposes it to chemical injury. 

Dr. Akintayo explained that 150  HIV subjects were used for the study, which recorded liver enzyme elevations  in HIV-Infected persons.

He said other causes of liver damage or hepatotoxicity in HIV patients are symptoms of hyperglycemia such as  polydipsia, and polyuria, which occur in 3-4 months interval of protease Inhibitors patients.

Tonye Nria-Dappa