Objectives Individuals with HIV have a higher risk for non-AIDS diseases associated with procoagulant status. Microparticles are elevated in disorders that are associated with thrombosis (e.g. cardiovascular disease). We investigated the association between microparticle levels in untreated and treated subjects with HIV, and determined the dependence on immune status, viral replication, and duration of antiretroviral therapy. Patients and methods The study was conducted among 144 subjects with HIV, including 123 subjects on antiretroviral therapy and 21 subjects before the initiation of treatment. A control group of 40 healthy HIV-negative adults matched for age and sex was used for comparisons of microparticle levels. Subjects on treatment were divided into five groups depending on the period of antiretroviral exposure. Statistically significant differences were determined by the Kruskal-Wallis test and ML chi-square test. The relationship of microparticles with other parameters was analyzed by Spearman’s coefficient of correlation. Results Microparticle levels were significantly higher in subjects with HIV without treatment and on treatment compared with HIV-negative controls (P < 0.001). The amount of microparticles was similar between the groups on treatment (P = 0.913). No association between microparticle level and CD4+ count, CD4+/CD8+ ratio, number of HIV-1 RNA copies or duration of exposure to antiretroviral treatment was found. Conclusions Increased levels of microparticles might occur by processes independent of viral replication and CD4+ cell count, and microparticle release might persist even during viral suppression by antiretroviral treatment. Elevated microparticle levels might occur in response to other triggers.