Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2024 Aug;101(4):867-877.
doi: 10.1007/s11524-024-00882-8. Epub 2024 Jun 3.

Structural Determinants of Health and Markers of Immune Activation and Systemic Inflammation in Sexual Minority Men With and Without HIV

Delaram Ghanooni  1 , Annesa Flentje  2 , Sabina Hirshfield  3 , Keith J Horvath  4 , Patricia I Moreno  5 , Audrey Harkness  6 , Emily J Ross  5 , Samantha E Dilworth  5 , Savita Pahwa  7 , Suresh Pallikkuth  7 , Adam W Carrico  8
Affiliations

Structural Determinants of Health and Markers of Immune Activation and Systemic Inflammation in Sexual Minority Men With and Without HIV

Delaram Ghanooni et al. J Urban Health. 2024 Aug.

Abstract

Among sexual minority men (SMM), HIV and use of stimulants such as methamphetamine are linked with immune activation and systemic inflammation. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, SMM encountered financial challenges and structural obstacles that might have uniquely contributed to immune dysregulation and systemic inflammation, beyond the impacts of HIV and stimulant use. Between August 2020 and February 2022, 72 SMM with and without HIV residing in South Florida enrolled in a COVID-19 prospective cohort study. Multiple linear regression analyses examined unemployment, homelessness, and history of arrest as structural correlates of soluble markers of immune activation (i.e., sCD14 and sCD163) and inflammation (i.e., sTNF-α receptors I and II) at baseline after adjusting for HIV status, stimulant use, and recent SARS-CoV-2 infection. Enrolled participants were predominantly Latino (59%), gay-identified (85%), and with a mean age of 38 (SD, 12) years with approximately one-third (38%) of participants living with HIV. After adjusting for HIV status, SARS-CoV-2 infection, and recent stimulant use, unemployment independently predicted higher levels of sCD163 (β = 0.24, p = 0.04) and sTNF-α receptor I (β = 0.26, p = 0.02). Homelessness (β = 0.25, p = 0.02) and history of arrest (β = 0.24, p = 0.04) independently predicted higher levels of sCD14 after adjusting for HIV status, SARS-CoV-2 infection, and recent stimulant use. Independent associations exist between structural barriers and immune activation and systemic inflammation in SMM with and without HIV. Future longitudinal research should further elucidate complex bio-behavioral mechanisms linking structural factors with immune activation and inflammation.

Keywords: COVID-19; HIV; Homelessness; Inflammation; Stimulant and unemployment.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. Sereti I, Altfeld M. Immune activation and HIV: an enduring relationship. Curr Opin HIV AIDS. 2016;11(2):129–30. 10.1097/COH.0000000000000244 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Paiardini M, Muller-Trutwin M. HIV-associated chronic immune activation. Immunol Rev. 2013;254(1):78–101. 10.1111/imr.12079 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Sandler NG, Wand H, Roque A, et al. Plasma levels of soluble CD14 independently predict mortality in HIV infection. J Infect Dis. 2011;203(6):780–90. 10.1093/infdis/jiq118 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Gough P, Myles IA. Tumor necrosis factor receptors: pleiotropic signaling complexes and their differential effects. Front Immunol. 2020;11:585880. 10.3389/fimmu.2020.585880 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Kumar A, Abbas W, Herbein G. TNF and TNF receptor superfamily members in HIV infection: new cellular targets for therapy? Mediators Inflamm. 2013;2013:484378. 10.1155/2013/484378 - DOI - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources