Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 25, 2026

Ex Vivo Infection of Human Lymphoid Tissue and Female Genital Mucosa with Human Immunodeficiency Virus 1 and Histoculture
11:14

Ex Vivo Infection of Human Lymphoid Tissue and Female Genital Mucosa with Human Immunodeficiency Virus 1 and Histoculture

Published on: October 12, 2018

9.7K

Brief Report: HIV Infection Is Associated With Worse Bone Material Properties, Independently of Bone Mineral Density

Robert Güerri-Fernández1, Daniel Molina, Judit Villar-García

  • 1*Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital del Mar, Hospital del Mar Research Institute (IMIM), Barcelona, Spain; †Department of Medicine, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; ‡Internal Medicine Department, Hospital del Mar, Hospital del Mar Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain; §Oxford NIHR Musculoskeletal Biomedical Research Unit, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom; and ‖Primary Care, ABS Passeig de Sant Joan, Barcelona, Catalan Institute of Health (ICS), Spain.

Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes (1999)
|February 25, 2016
PubMed

Insights

HIV infection is linked to bone damage, even when bone mineral density (BMD) appears normal. Microindentation reveals reduced bone material strength in HIV patients, suggesting the infection itself impairs bone health.

Area of Science:

  • Orthopedics
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Bone Biology

Background:

  • Low bone mineral density (BMD) is increasingly reported in individuals with HIV.
  • The exact cause of bone impairment in HIV patients remains unclear, with ongoing debate about the roles of the infection versus its treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the direct impact of HIV infection on bone material strength, independent of BMD.
  • To differentiate the effects of HIV infection from treatment on bone health.

Main Methods:

  • Recruited 85 participants: 50 HIV-infected individuals and 35 controls.
  • Utilized microindentation to directly measure bone material strength (BMSi).
  • Assessed BMD at the total hip, femoral neck, and lumbar spine.

Main Results:

  • No significant differences in BMD were found between HIV-infected patients and controls.
  • HIV-infected patients exhibited significantly lower median Bone Material Strength index (84.5) compared to controls (90) (P < 0.001).
  • This indicates bone damage in HIV infection, irrespective of BMD levels.

Conclusions:

  • HIV infection is associated with impaired bone material strength.
  • Bone damage in HIV occurs independently of bone mineral density.
  • Microindentation is a valuable tool for detecting bone alterations in HIV patients not apparent through BMD scans.

More Related Videos

Biological Compatibility Profile on Biomaterials for Bone Regeneration10:28

Biological Compatibility Profile on Biomaterials for Bone Regeneration

Published on: November 16, 2018

13.4K
Processing of Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid and Matched Blood for Alveolar Macrophage and CD4+ T-cell Immunophenotyping and HIV Reservoir Assessment07:21

Processing of Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid and Matched Blood for Alveolar Macrophage and CD4+ T-cell Immunophenotyping and HIV Reservoir Assessment

Published on: June 23, 2019

22.7K

Related Concept Videos

Bone Disorders01:29

Bone Disorders

Aging and its effect on bone remodeling is the most common cause of bone disorders. In young and healthy people, bone deposition and resorption happen at an equal rate to maintain optimal bone health.
Bone deposition is also affected by the levels of sex hormones like estrogen and testosterone that promote osteoblast activity and bone matrix synthesis. When the level of these hormones decreases due to aging, it causes a reduction in bone deposition. As a result, bone resorption by osteoclasts...
7.0K
Bone Marrow Sampling and Transplants01:22

Bone Marrow Sampling and Transplants

Bone marrow transplant is a potential cure for several diseases, including cancer and specific genetic disorders. Notably, this procedure is applicable for patients suffering from aplastic anemia, certain types of leukemia, severe combined immunodeficiency disease (SCID), Hodgkin's disease, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, multiple myeloma, thalassemia, sickle-cell disease, and certain cancers.
The transplant begins with high doses of chemotherapy and radiation treatment, which aim to destroy...
2.3K
Bone as Supporting Connective Tissue01:23

Bone as Supporting Connective Tissue

Bone tissue forms the internal skeleton of vertebrate animals, providing structure to the body.
Bone Matrix
Bone, or osseous tissue, is a connective tissue that has a large amount of two different types of matrix material. The organic matrix is similar to the matrix material found in other connective tissues, including some amount of collagen and elastic fibers. This gives strength and flexibility to the tissue. The inorganic matrix consists of mineral salts— mostly calcium salts—...
7.9K
Bone Remodeling01:40

Bone Remodeling

Bone remodeling is a continuous and balanced process of bone resorption by osteoclasts and bone formation by osteoblasts. In adults, it helps maintain bone mass and calcium homeostasis. While mechanical stress can stimulate turnover as part of the normal maintenance and reparative process, several hormones also regulate bone remodeling.
41.0K
Osteoclasts in Bone Remodeling01:31

Osteoclasts in Bone Remodeling

Osteoclasts are cells responsible for bone resorption and remodeling. They originate from hematopoietic progenitor cells present in the bone marrow. Numerous progenitor cells fuse to form multinucleated cells, each with 10-20 nuclei. A single osteoclast has a diameter of 150 to 200 µM. These cells have ruffled borders that break down the underlying bone tissue and release minerals such as calcium into the blood in bone resorption. Osteoclasts cling to bones with their ruffled edges during...
4.7K
Bone Structure01:55

Bone Structure

Within the skeletal system, the structure of a bone, or osseous tissue, can be exemplified in a long bone, like the femur, where there are two types of osseous tissue: cortical and cancellous.
52.8K