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Sex Differences in Select Non-communicable HIV-Associated Comorbidities: Exploring the Role of Systemic Immune

Avanthi Raghavan1, Dodie E Rimmelin1, Kathleen V Fitch1

  • 1Program in Nutritional Metabolism, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 55 Fruit St, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.

Current HIV/AIDS Reports
|October 29, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Women living with HIV (WLHIV) exhibit higher systemic immune activation, increasing risks for cardiovascular disease (CVD), neurocognitive impairment, and non-AIDS-defining cancers (NADC). Further research is crucial for targeted prevention strategies.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Public Health

Background:

  • HIV infection is linked to increased systemic immune activation and inflammation.
  • This immune dysregulation contributes to non-communicable comorbidities like cardiovascular disease (CVD), neurocognitive impairment, and non-AIDS-defining cancers (NADC).
  • Sex differences in disease prevalence and progression are observed in HIV-associated conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore HIV-associated CVD, neurocognitive impairment, and NADC as distinct disease states driven by immune activation.
  • To analyze sex-based epidemiological differences in these conditions across diverse settings.
  • To investigate biological and environmental factors contributing to heightened immune activation in women living with HIV (WLHIV).

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on HIV-associated comorbidities and immune activation.
  • Analysis of epidemiological data considering sex differences.
  • Examination of biological and environmental factors influencing immune responses in WLHIV.

Main Results:

  • Women living with HIV (WLHIV) demonstrate higher levels of systemic immune activation/inflammation compared to men living with HIV (MLHIV).
  • This heightened immune activation in WLHIV may stem from sex-specific viral responses, immunomodulatory treatments, behavioral factors, and hormonal axis perturbations.
  • Potential links exist between different immune-mediated comorbidities in WLHIV.

Conclusions:

  • Heightened systemic immune activation in WLHIV contributes to sex differences in non-communicable HIV-associated comorbidities.
  • Understanding region-specific drivers of immune activation in WLHIV is essential.
  • Further research can improve risk prediction and inform targeted immunomodulatory prevention strategies for WLHIV.
Abstract

Keywords:
HIVInflammationNon-communicable diseasesSex differencesWomen

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