Antiretroviral therapy can't completely stop accelerated cell aging seen
in HIV

Date:
October 22, 2020
Source:
University of California - Los Angeles Health Sciences
Summary:
Untreated HIV infection is linked with epigenetic changes that
suggest rapid aging. A new study shows that antiretroviral
therapy given over two years was unable to completely restore
age-appropriate epigenetic patterns, leaving patients more
susceptible to aging-related illnesses.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== Untreated HIV infection is linked with epigenetic changes that
suggest rapid aging. A new study by UCLA researchers shows that
antiretroviral therapy given over two years was unable to completely
restore age-appropriate epigenetic patterns, leaving patients more
susceptible to aging-related illnesses.


==========================================================================
This is the first longitudinal study conducted to investigate the
contribution of HIV-infection, versus treatment, on the acceleration
of aging epigenetics - - external factors that affect the function of
genes -- in this population of adults.

The researchers extracted DNA from 15 HIV-infected people at three points
in time: 6 to 12 months prior to the initiation of antiretroviral therapy,
6 to 12 months after the beginning of therapy and, again, 18 to 24 months
after being put on the therapy. They then compared those samples with
DNA from 15 age- matched, non-HIV-infected individuals.

The researchers note some limitations to the study, including the small
sample size, their inability to adjust for other factors that might have influenced the results, and the fact that a larger study may be needed
to detect more subtle epigenetic changes caused by antiretroviral therapy.

The results suggest that altered epigenetics may help explain why even successfully treated HIV-infected adults are at an increased risk for the
early development of many diseases more commonly associated with aging.


========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_California_-_Los_Angeles_Health_Sciences.

Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Mary E. Sehl, Tammy M. Rickabaugh, Roger Shih, Otoniel
Martinez-Maza,
Steve Horvath, Christina M. Ramirez, Beth D. Jamieson. The Effects
of Anti-retroviral Therapy on Epigenetic Age Acceleration Observed
in HIV-1- infected Adults. Pathogens and Immunity, 2020 [abstract] ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/10/201022112608.htm

--- up 8 weeks, 3 days, 6 hours, 50 minutes
* Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (1337:3/111)