Association between alcohol use and inflammatory biomarkers over time among younger adults with HIV-The Russia ARCH Observational Study

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 14; no. 8; p. e0219710
• Main Authors: So-Armah, Kaku A, Cheng, Debbie M, Freiberg, Matthew S, Gnatienko, Natalia, Patts, Gregory, Ma, Yicheng, White, Laura, Blokhina, Elena, Lioznov, Dmitry, Doyle, Margaret F, Tracy, Russell P, Chichetto, Natalie, Bridden, Carly, Bryant, Kendall, Krupitsky, Evgeny, Samet, Jeffrey H
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 22-08-2019; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Abuse; Acquired immune deficiency syndrome; Adult; Adults; AIDS; Alcohol abuse; Alcohol Drinking - blood; Alcohol Drinking - immunology; Alcohol use; Alcoholism; Alcohols; Antiretroviral agents; Antiretroviral drugs; Antiretroviral therapy; Arches; Biological markers; Biology and Life Sciences; Biomarkers; Biomarkers - blood; CD14 antigen; Cell activation; Coagulation; Cohort Studies; Comorbidity; Demographics; Demography; Dimers; Drinking (Alcoholic beverages); Drinking behavior; Drug abuse; EDTA; Female; Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products - metabolism; Health aspects; Health risks; Hepatitis; Hepatitis C; Highly active antiretroviral therapy; HIV; HIV Infections - blood; HIV Infections - immunology; HIV patients; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humans; Inflammation; Inflammation Mediators - blood; Interleukin 6; Interleukin-6 - blood; Interleukins; Linear Models; Lipopolysaccharide Receptors - blood; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Medical diagnosis; Medicine and Health Sciences; Monocytes; Mortality; Observational studies; Patient outcomes; Ribonucleic acid; RNA; Russia; Young adults; Russia; Vermont; United States > US; Tennessee; Massachusetts; Nashville Tennessee
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0219710

Biomarkers of monocyte activation (soluble CD14 [sCD14]), inflammation (interleukin-6 [IL-6]), and altered coagulation (D-dimer) are associated with increased mortality risk in people with HIV. The objective of the Russia Alcohol Research Collaboration on HIV/AIDS (ARCH) study was to evaluate the association between heavy alcohol use and inflammatory biomarkers over time.
The study sought antiretroviral therapy naive participants with HIV (n = 350) and assessed them at baseline, 12 and 24 months. Linear mixed effects models were used to determine whether heavy drinking (self-report augmented by phosphatidylethanol [PEth], an alcohol biomarker) was longitudinally associated with IL-6, sCD14 and D-dimer adjusting for potential confounders (e.g., demographics, HIV factors, comorbid conditions).
Participants' baseline characteristics were as follows: 71% male; mean age of 34 years; 87% self-reported hepatitis C; and 86% current smokers. Mean log10 (HIV RNA) was 4.3 copies/mL. Heavy alcohol use, based on National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism risky drinking criteria and PEth (versus non-heavy alcohol use) was associated with higher sCD14 (adjusted mean difference 125 ng/mL [95% CI: 42, 209]), IL-6 (ratio of means 1.35 [95% CI: 1.17, 1.55] pg/mL), and D-dimer (ratio of means 1.20 [95% CI: 1.06, 1.37] ug/mL) across the two-year follow-up.
Among HIV+ adults, current heavy alcohol use is associated with higher sCD14, IL-6 and D-dimer over time. Since these biomarkers are associated with mortality, interventions to mitigate effects of heavy drinking on these immune processes merit consideration.