Introduction: Genotoxicity of chemical compounds is primarily associated with the interaction with DNA, formation of mutations, damage to chromosomes and initiating carcinogenesis processes. Currently, many compounds found in the environment are considered to be genotoxic agents, among them...

The sirtuins (SIRTs) are a family of enzymes from the group of NAD⁺-dependent deacetylases. Through the reaction of splitting the acetyl group of various transcription factors and histones they regulate many processes in the organism. The activity of sirtuins is linked to metabolic control, oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis, and they also affect the course of viral infections. For this reason, they may participate in the pathogenesis and development of many diseases, but little is known about their role in the course of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, which is the subject of this review. In the course of HIV infection, comorbidities such as: neurodegenerative disorders, obesity, insulin resistance and diabetes, lipid disorders and cardiovascular diseases, renal and bone diseases developed more frequently and faster compared to the general population. The role of sirtuins in the development of accompanying diseases in the course of HIV infection may also be interesting. There is still a lack of detailed information on this subject. The role of sirtuins, especially SIRT1, SIRT3, SIRT6, are indicated to be of great importance in the course of HIV infection and the development of the abovementioned comorbidities.

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection and the chronic use of combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) may affect the occurrence of certain disturbances in the body. There is growing interest in sirtuins–enzymes involved in the regulation of many metabolic processes in the organism and in the pathogenesis of many diseases which also exhibit potential antiviral activity. The aim of the study was to investigate the connection of cART to the expression of Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1), Sirtuin 3 (SIRT3) and Sirtuin 6 (SIRT6) in HIV-infected men. The plasma levels of sirtuins were measured before and one year after cART, and related to HIV viral load, lymphocytes T CD4+ and CD8+ count as well as the applied cART. The levels of sirtuins in plasma were measured in HIV-infected patients (n = 53) and the control group (n = 35) by immunoassay methods. There were statistically significant (p < 0.05) differences between SIRT6 in the HIV-infected patients before therapy and in the subgroups, depending on the count of lymphocytes T CD8+. There were significant differences in the levels of SIRT1 depending on the applied treatment regimen. The obtained results indicate the most significant changes in the expression of SIRT6 in the course of HIV infection and suggest an influence of the type of cART on the level of SIRT1, which indicates its important role in the course of HIV.

The use of combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) inhibits the replication of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and thus may affect the functioning of the immune system, e.g., induce changes in the expression of certain cytokines. The aim was to examine the effect of cART on the expression of selected cytokines: interleukin -4, -7 and -15 in HIV-infected subjects. The test material was the plasma of HIV-infected men and healthy men (C, control group). The levels of interleukin were measured by immunoenzymatic method before cART and one year after treatment in relation to the C group. HIV-infected men were analyzed in subgroups depending on the HIV-RNA viral load, CD4⁺ and CD8⁺T-cell counts, and the type of therapeutic regimen. A significantly higher level of IL-4 was demonstrated in HIV-infected men before cART compared to those after treatment and in the control group. The use of cART resulted in a significant decrease in the level of IL-7 in HIV-infected men; however, high levels of IL-7 were associated with a low number of CD4⁺ T cells and CD8⁺ T cells. An increase in the level of IL-15 in HIV-infected men was noted after the use of cART. There was no difference in the expression of interleukins depending on the treatment regimen used. The study showed the effect of cART on the expression of interleukins, especially IL-4 and IL-7. Further research in this direction seems promising, confirming the role of these interleukins in the course of the disease.

Subjects infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) treated with combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) show a greater predisposition to metabolic disturbances compared to the general population. The aim of the study was to assess the effect of cART on the level of selected parameters related to carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, cardiovascular diseases and inflammation in the plasma of HIV-infected patients against the uninfected. The levels of irisin (IRS), myostatin (MSTN), peptide YY (PYY), glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP-4), fetuin A (FETU-A), pentraxin 3 (PTX 3), chemokine stromal cell-derived factor 1 (SDF-1), and regulated on activation normal T cell expressed and secreted (RANTES) in the plasma of HIV-infected patients and the control group were measured by immunoassay methods. HIV-infected patients were analyzed in terms of CD4+ T cells and CD8+ T cell count, HIV RNA viral load, and the type of therapeutic regimen containing either protease inhibitors (PIs) or integrase transfer inhibitors (INSTIs). The analysis of HIV-infected patients before and after cART against the control group showed statistically significant differences for the following parameters: IRS (p = 0.02), MSTN (p = 0.03), PYY (p = 0.03), GLP-1 (p = 0.03), PTX3 (p = 0.03), and RANTES (p = 0.02), but no significant differences were found for DPP-4, FETU-A, and SDF-1. Comparing the two applied therapeutic regimens, higher levels of all tested parameters were shown in HIV-infected patients treated with INSTIs compared to HIV-infected patients treated with PIs, but the differences were not statistically significant. The obtained results indicated significant changes in the expression of selected parameters in the course of HIV infection and cART. There is need for further research on the clinical usefulness of the selected parameters and for new information on the pathogenesis of HIV-related comorbidities to be provided. The obtained data may allow for better monitoring of the course of HIV infection and optimization of therapy in order to prevent the development of comorbidities as a result of long-term use of cART.