Objective: To investigate the effect of antioxidant supplementation on viral load and the antioxidant/reactive oxygen species system in people with HIV.
Design: Single centre, prospective, dose comparison study.
Setting: Outpatient clinic specializing in HIV care.
Subjects: Sixty-six participants were sequentially recruited by advertisement, and 48 subjects completed the study.
Interventions: A recommended dose antioxidant regimen (5,450 IU vitamin A as beta-carotene, 250 mg vitamin C, 100 IU vitamin E, 100 microg selenium, 50 mg coenzyme Q10) or a high-dose antioxidant regimen (21,800 IU vitamin A as beta-carotene, 1,000 mg vitamin C, 400 IU vitamin E, 200 microg selenium, 200 mg coenzyme Q10) for a 12 week period.
Results: Using repeated measures analysis of variance, the changes over treatment time were significant for selenium, glutathione, glutathione peroxidase and lipid peroxides (P < 0.03). Changes in allantoin, uric acid and viral load were not significant (P > 0.05). The main effects for group and the interaction effects were not significant for any of the parameters measured (P > or = 0.05).
Conclusion: Antioxidant supplementation significantly improved some measures of oxidative defence. There was no benefit in using a high-dose supplement in this study.