e-Article
Persistent immune activation and altered gut integrity over time in a longitudinal study of Ugandan youth with perinatally acquired HIV
Document Type
article
Author
Source
Frontiers in Immunology, Vol 14 (2023)
Subject
Language
English
ISSN
1664-3224
Abstract
IntroductionPerinatally acquired HIV infection (PHIV) occurs during a critical window of immune development. We investigated changes in systemic inflammation and immune activation in adolescents with PHIV and those without HIV (HIV-) in Uganda.MethodsA prospective observational cohort study was performed in 2017-2021 in Uganda. All participants were between 10-18 years of age and without active co-infections. PHIVs were on ART with HIV-1 RNA level ≤400 copies/mL. We measured plasma and cellular markers of monocyte activation, T-cell activation (expression of CD38 and HLA-DR on CD4+ and CD8+), oxidized LDL, markers of gut integrity and fungal translocation. Groups were compared using Wilcoxon rank sum tests. Changes from baseline were examined with 97.5% confidence intervals on relative fold change. P values were adjusted for false discovery rate.ResultsWe enrolled 101 PHIV and 96 HIV-; among these, 89 PHIV and 79 HIV- also had measurements at 96 weeks. At baseline, median (Q1, Q3) age was 13 yrs (11,15), and 52% were females. In PHIV, median CD4+ cell counts were 988 cells/µL (638, 1308), ART duration was 10 yrs (8, 11), and 85% had viral load