Mitochondrial toxicity
Mitochondrial toxicity is a condition in which the mitochondria of a body's cells become damaged or decline significantly in number; it occurs as a side effect of certain antiretroviral drugs used to treat human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV. [1]
Causes
While the exact causes of mitochondrial toxicity are unknown, research has shown that a certain group of anti-viral drugs used to treat HIV, specifically nucleoside analog reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs), interfere with an enzyme needed in the production of mitochondria.[2]
Symptoms
The disruption of cell function that accompanies the condition can cause both mild and severe problems in people with mitochondrial toxicity. The most commonly observed symptom is muscle weakness, or myopathy. Others include peripheral neuropathy (numbness in the fingers and toes) and pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas), with the most severe being lactic acidosis, in which a build-up of lactic acid in the tissues of the body leads to loss of energy, organ failure, and eventually death.[3]
See also
References
- ^ Meyer, Joel; Hartman, Jessica; Mello, Danielle (January 11, 2018). "Mitochondrial Toxicity". Toxicological Sciences. 162 (1). Oxford University Press: 15–23. doi:10.1093/toxsci/kfy008. PMC 5837373. PMID 29340618.
- ^ Roger Pebody; Myles Helfand. "What Are the Symptoms of HIV/AIDS?". thebody.com.
- ^ "Project Inform: Mitochondrial Damage and Lactic Acidosis [ HIV / AIDS Treatment Information ]". Archived from the original on 2006-10-02. Retrieved 2007-02-27.
External links
- Mitochondrial toxicity at hiv.org