Racial Comparison of D-dimer Levels in U.S. Male Military Personnel Before and After HIV Infection and Viral Suppression
BACKGROUND: D-dimer blood levels in persons with HIV infection are associated with risk of serious non-AIDS conditions and death. Black race has been correlated with higher D-dimer levels in several studies. We examined the effects of race and HIV on D-dimer over time and the impact of viral load suppression by longitudinally comparing changes in levels among healthy young adult male African Americans and Caucasians before HIV seroconversion, and before and after initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART). METHODS: We analyzed D-dimer levels, clinical and laboratory data in 192 participants enrolled in the U.S. Military HIV Natural History Study, a 30 year cohort of military personnel infected with HIV. D-dimer levels were measured on stored sera from each participant at three time points: 1) pre-HIV seroconversion (Pre-SC), 2) =6 months post-HIV seroconversion but prior to ART initiation (Post-SC), and 3) =6 months post-ART with documented viral suppression (Post-ART). Levels were compared at each time point using nonparametric and logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Compared to Caucasians (n=106), African Americans (n=86) had higher D-dimer levels post-SC (p=0.007), but in the same individuals, pre-SC baseline and post-ART levels were similar (p=0.40 and p=0.99 respectively). There were no racial differences in CD4 cell counts, HIV RNA viral load, time from estimated seroconversion to ART initiation, and duration of time on ART. CONCLUSIONS: Observed longitudinally, racial differences in D-dimer levels were seen only during HIV viremia. Higher levels of D-dimer commonly observed in African Americans are likely due to factors in addition to race.
