Pro-inflammatory biomarkers associated with depression severity among adults with HIV in New York City

Combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) has greatly improved the lifespan of people living with HIV (PWH). As the PWH population ages, the prevalence of comorbidities increases. Depression is among one of the most prevalent comorbidities of HIV and associated with higher immune and inflammatory responses. The effects of depression among PWH can lead to cART non-adherence, leading to worse health outcomes and poorer quality of life. This paper is a direct response to the CHAMPS randomized control trial (NCT05938413) of 300 PWH in both Alabama and New York City (NYC) with suboptimal primary care appointment adherence. Participants were randomly assigned to the intervention arm (receive CleverCap pill bottle to track medication adherence, communication with community health workers) or control arm (standard of care).

To examine the association of pro-inflammatory biomarkers associated with depression among PWH.

138 PWH (age range 23-70) enrolled in the CHAMPS study in NYC completed baseline, 6-month, and 12-month follow-up visits where they completed surveys and gave blood samples. CD4 and HIV-1 viral loads were obtained through blood draw at each timepoint. Biomarker data was only collected at the baseline visit. Statistical and linear regression analyses were performed to determine associations.

Among CD14, IFN-γ, and TNF-α, higher depression severity scores were associated with CD14 (p = 0.029) and IFN-γ (p = 0.003) via linear regression. Identifying as Latinx was also associated with higher PHQ-8 scores.

These findings contribute to a growing body of evidence linking depression with immune activation and inflammatory pathways in PWH. Future studies should examine these associations alongside social and clinical factors to guide targeted interventions and improve outcomes for PWH.