Impact of Heroin and HIV on Gut Integrity and Immune Activation

Background: Altered gut integrity is central to HIV-related immune activation. Opioids may promote similar changes in gut permeability and/or increase systemic inflammation, potentially augmenting processes already occurring in people with HIV (PWH). Setting: Urban hospital systems in Cleveland, Ohio, and surrounding communities. Methods: This is a prospectively enrolled, cross-sectional study including people with and without HIV using heroin and people with and without HIV who have never used heroin, matched by age, sex, and CD4+ T-cell count (PWH only) to compare markers of gut integrity, microbial translocation, systemic inflammation, and immune activation. Results: A total of 100 participants were enrolled. Active heroin use was associated with higher concentrations of lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP), beta-D-glucan (BDG), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), soluble tumor necrosis factor-α-receptors I and II, soluble CD163, inflammatory monocytes, and activated CD4+ lymphocytes in adjusted models. HIV status tended to modify the effect between heroin use and LBP, BDG, hsCRP, patrolling monocytes, and activated CD4+ lymphocytes (P
Source: JAIDS Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes - Category: Infectious Diseases Tags: Clinical Science Source Type: research