Project description:Smoking is common in people who live with HIV infection and has significant adverse effects on HIV outcomes. The impacts of smoking on methylome has been well established in non-HIV populations. However, the smoking’s effects on host methylome in HIV-positive population has not been investigated and it is unknown if smoking-associated DNA methylation link to HIV outcomes. In this study, we applied machine learning methods selected smoking-associated DNA methylation features to predict HIV related frailty and mortality.
Project description:Smoking is common in people who live with HIV infection and has significant adverse effects on HIV outcomes. The impacts of smoking on methylome has been well established in non-HIV populations. However, the smoking’s effects on host methylome in HIV-positive population has not been investigated and it is unknown if smoking-associated DNA methylation link to HIV outcomes. In this study, we applied machine learning methods selected smoking-associated DNA methylation features to predict HIV related frailty and mortality.
Project description:Objective: People with HIV (PWH) experience excess comorbidities, including neurocognitive disorders, which are linked to inflammation, particularly monocyte-macrophage activation. Smoking contributes to morbidity and mortality in well-treated PWH. We investigated associations between smoking, neurocognitive function, and inflammation in PWH on ART. Design: We used baseline data on cognition and inflammation from a randomized treatment study among smoking and non-smoking PWH. Participants completed 4 neurocognitive tests (7 measures), with a composite score as the primary measure. Inflammatory markers were plasma sCD14, sCD163, and CCL2/MCP-1; %CD14+ monocytes expressing CD16, CD163, and CCR2; and %CD8+ T cells co-expressing CD38/HLA-DR. Exploratory analyses included a plasma cytokine/chemokine panel, hsCRP, neurofilament light chain (NFL) and monocyte transcriptomes by RNAseq. Results: We recruited 58 PWH (26 smokers, 32 non-smokers). Mean composite and individual neurocognitive scores did not differ significantly by smoking status except for the color shape task; smokers exhibited worse cognitive flexibility, with adjusted mean times 317.2 (95%CI 1.4, 632.9) msec longer than non-smokers. Smokers had higher plasma sCD14 than non-smokers (median(IQR) 1820(1678, 2105) versus 1551(1284, 1760) ng/ml, p=0.009). Other inflammatory markers were not significantly different between smokers and non-smokers. Monocyte transcriptomes showed several functions, regulators and gene sets that differed by smoking status. Conclusions: sCD14, a marker of monocyte activation, is elevated in PWH who smoke. While neurocognitive measures and other inflammatory markers did not generally differ, these data implicate smoking-related myeloid activation and monocyte gene dysregulation in the HIV/smoking synergy driving HIV-associated comorbidities.
Project description:Background. The growing popularity of cannabis smoking in an era of legalization has prompted concerns about respiratory health. Objective. To investigate clinical and airway epithelial transcriptomic features associated with cannabis smoking. Methods. This cross-sectional study analyzed 139 cannabis-smoking participants categorized by joint-year exposure (low: ≤5; moderate: >5-20; high: >20), and 57 never-smokers. We evaluated respiratory symptom questionnaire scores, lung function measurements, and chest computed tomography and hyperpolarized 129Xe pulmonary magnetic resonance imaging measurements across groups. We compared the expression of immune response signatures and mucin genes in airway epithelial brushings collected from bronchoscopy. Using air-liquid interface (ALI) cell cultures, we quantified epithelial MUC5AC protein and correlated its expression with clinical outcomes. Results. Among cannabis-smoking individuals (48% male and median age of 27 years), 84% reported current or former cigarette smoking or vaping. Cannabis-smoking groups reported worse respiratory symptoms than never-smokers. High joint-year cannabis-smoking participants showed lower pre-bronchodilator FEV1/FVC and FEF25-75, more radiographic emphysema, and more ventilation abnormalities than never-smokers. Airway epithelial brushings from cannabis-smoking individuals demonstrated increased type 2 immune response, decreased type 17 immune response, and higher MUC5AC gene expression than non-cannabis-smoking individuals. Epithelial MUC5AC protein expression in cell cultures correlated with worse clinical outcomes and imaging abnormalities. Conclusions. Cannabis smoking, particularly at high exposures, is associated with worse respiratory symptoms, lower lung function, functional imaging abnormalities, and dysregulated immune responses in the airway epithelium. These observations suggest respiratory harm associated with cannabis smoking and underscore the concerns for future respiratory morbidities related to persistent cannabis use.
Project description:Ongoing viral transcription from the reservoir of long-lived CD4+ T cells containing integrated HIV-1 DNA presents a barrier to cure and associates with poorer health outcomes for people living with HIV, including chronic immune activation and inflammation. We previously reported that didehydro-Cortistatin A (dCA), an HIV-1 Tat inhibitor, blocks HIV-1 transcription. We sought to extend this work and examine the impact of dCA on host immune CD4+ T cell transcriptional and epigenetic states. Here, we performed a comprehensive analysis of genome-wide transcriptomic and DNA methylation profiles upon long-term dCA-treatment of primary human memory CD4+ T cells. dCA prompted specific transcriptional and DNA methylation changes in cell cycle, histone, interferon-response and T cell lineage transcription factor genes, through inhibition of both HIV-1 and Mediator kinases. These alterations establish a tolerogenic Treg/Th2 phenotype, reducing viral gene expression and mitigating inflammation in primary CD4+T cells during HIV-1 infection. Additionally, dCA suppresses expression of lineage-defining transcription factors for Th17 and Th1 cells, critical HIV-1 targets and reservoirs. dCA’s benefits thus extend beyond viral transcription inhibition, modulating immune cell landscape to limit HIV-1 acquisition and inflammatory environment linked to HIV-infection.