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Health News Archive 485 - AIDS
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Carotenoids May Improve AIDS Survival

Low serum carotene concentration is common in AIDS patients and is a predictor of death; supplementation with micronutrients and natural mixed carotenoids, including beta-carotene, may improve survival by correcting the micronutrient deficiency.

Published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the placebo-controlled, prospective, randomized, double blind, multicenter clinical trial included a total of 331 adults with advanced AIDS (on conventional AIDS management strategies), with a control group of 166 individuals. All were given a daily oral multivitamin specifically formulated to contain vitamin A and trace elements. A second treatment group (consisting of 165 participants) received an additional daily oral supplement containing a natural form of mixed carotenoids (equivalent to 120,000 IU or 72 mg/d of beta-carotene). Follow-ups were done quarterly at routine clinic visits at the community, tertiary care human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) clinics of the Canadian HIV Trials Network (CTN).

Mean follow-up was between seven and 19 months (36 participants died by 18 months); serum carotene concentration (<1.0 mol/l) was present in 16 percent of participants at baseline. Despite variation in carotene content of the treatment medication, serum carotene concentrations increased significantly in participants who received carotenoids handling (P<0.0001) to twice the baseline levels compared with the control group at 18 months.

Although not statistically significant, mortality was increased in participants who did not receive carotenoid treatment compared with those who did (HR time to death 1.76, 95 percent CI 0.89, 3.47, P=0.11).

In multivariate analysis, survival was significantly and independently improved in those with higher baseline serum carotene concentrations (P=0.04) or higher baseline CD4 T-lymphocyte counts (P=0.005). Adjusted mortality was also significantly and independently increased in those who did not receive the carotenoid treatment compared with those who did (HR time to death 3.15, 95-percent CI 1.10, 8.98, P=0.03).

Researchers concluded low serum carotene concentration is common in AIDS patients and is a predictor of death. Supplementation with micronutrients and natural mixed carotenoids may improve survival by correction of a micronutrient deficiency, but further studies are needed to corroborate findings and elucidate the mechanism of action.

The study was sponsored by the CTN and Community Research Initiative of Toronto (CRIT).

Source: European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 60: 1266–1276.doi:10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602447, 2006

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