Nucleoside induced hepatopathy in HIV patients. Diagnostic value of liver biopsy assessment

Hepatic steatosis together with lactic acidosis is a life threatening side effect in HIV infected patients receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). We describe 5 patients developing hepatic drug toxicity during longterm treatment with nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors. The main clinical symptoms included abdominal pain, fever, and neurological disorders. Serum lactate levels were elevated leading to severe metabolic acidosis in 3 cases. Liver biopsies revealed extensive macro- and microvesicular steatosis. Mitochondrial alterations were detected by electronmicroscopy. Microvesicular steatosis was seen in one case with elevated liver enzymes, but normal serum lactate levels, and was most extensive in a patient with a severe lactic acidotic coma. We conclude that detection of microvesicular steatosis and mitochondrial alterations in liver biopsies may help to identify the development of a nucleoside induced hepatopathy before the onset of severe lactic acidosis.