A 2-year long prospective, randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled study in 200 asymptomatic HIV (+) patients to compare two equally effective antiretroviral regimens, one with and the other without a protease inhibiotor. We will study body fat distribution by anthropometry and magnetic resonance imaging and will measure insulin sensitivity (in a subset of patients), plasma lipoproteins, glucose tolerance and other metabolic variables. We will study expression of an array of adipocyte specific proteins/transcription factors involved in adipocyte differentiation, insulin action and lipoprotein metabolism in fat biopsy samples obtained before and after institution of therapy.
