Acute Myocardial Infarction in a 34-Year-Old HIV-Positive Female Patient While Undergoing Active Antiretroviral Therapy Containing a Protease Inhibitor.

We describe the case of a young HIV-positive patient undergoing three-drug antiretroviral therapy that included a protease inhibitor for 9 months, who was admitted to the hospital with an acute myocardial infarction. A coronary angiogram revealed occlusion caused by a thrombus in the proximal third of the anterior descending artery. Complete recanalization was obtained after an angioplasty was performed. At the time of the infarction, only the triglyceride levels were found to be high. Metabolic alterations associated with the prolonged use of protease inhibitors have been described such as an increase in the triglyceride and cholesterol serum levels, diabetes, resistance to insulin, lipodystrophy, and pancreatitis. The consequences of chronic hyperlipidemia are well known in the medical literature, especially premature coronary artery disease. No family history of coronary artery disease was identified in this patient. Whether the genesis of this localized coronary thrombosis was due to a change in the metabolism of the vascular endothelium caused by the protease inhibitors, or by related dyslipidemia, is still to be determined. In this case, the data suggest a strong link between coronary insufficiency and prolonged use of the protease inhibitor.