Cocaine use associated gut permeability and microbial translocation in people living with HIV in the Miami Adult Study on HIV (MASH) cohort

Authors

Jacqueline Hernandez, Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, United States of America.
Javier A. Tamargo, Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, United States of America.
Sabrina Sales Martinez, Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, United States of America.
Haley R. Martin, Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, United States of America.
Adriana Campa, Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, United States of America.
Rafick-Pierre Sékaly, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America.
Rebeka Bordi, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America.
Kenneth E. Sherman, Division of Digestive Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States of America.
Susan D. Rouster, Division of Digestive Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States of America.
Heidi L. Meeds, Division of Digestive Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States of America.
Jag H. Khalsa, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Tropical Diseases, George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC, United States of America.
Raul N. Mandler, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Rockville, Maryland, United States of America.
Shenghan Lai, Department of Epidemiology, Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America.
Marianna K. Baum, Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, United States of America.

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

1-1-2022

Journal

PloS one

Volume

17

Issue

10

DOI

10.1371/journal.pone.0275675

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Determine if cocaine use impacts gut permeability, promotes microbial translocation and immune activation in people living with HIV (PLWH) using effective antiretroviral therapy (ART). METHODS: Cross-sectional analysis of 100 PLWH (ART ≥6 months, HIV-RNA <200 copies/mL) from the Miami Adult Studies on HIV (MASH) cohort. Cocaine use was assessed by self-report, urine screen, and blood benzoylecgonine (BE). Blood samples were collected to assess gut permeability (intestinal fatty acid-binding protein, I-FABP), microbial translocation (lipopolysaccharide, LPS), immune activation (sCD14, sCD27, and sCD163) and markers of inflammation (hs-CRP, TNF-α and IL-6). Multiple linear regression models were used to analyze the relationships of cocaine use. RESULTS: A total of 37 cocaine users and 63 cocaine non-users were evaluated. Cocaine users had higher levels of I-FABP (7.92±0.35 vs. 7.69±0.56 pg/mL, P = 0.029) and LPS (0.76±0.24 vs. 0.54±0.27 EU/mL, P<0.001) than cocaine non-users. Cocaine use was also associated with the levels of LPS (P<0.001), I-FABP (P = 0.033), and sCD163 (P = 0.010) after adjusting for covariates. Cocaine users had 5.15 times higher odds to exhibit higher LPS levels than non-users (OR: 5.15 95% CI: 1.89-13.9; P<0.001). Blood levels of BE were directly correlated with LPS (rho = 0.276, P = 0.028), sCD14 (rho = 0.274, P = 0.031), and sCD163 (rho = 0.250, P = 0.049). CONCLUSIONS: Cocaine use was associated with markers of gut permeability, microbial translocation, and immune activation in virally suppressed PLWH. Mitigation of cocaine use may prevent further gastrointestinal damage and immune activation in PLWH.

APA Citation

Hernandez, Jacqueline; Tamargo, Javier A.; Sales Martinez, Sabrina; Martin, Haley R.; Campa, Adriana; Sékaly, Rafick-Pierre; Bordi, Rebeka; Sherman, Kenneth E.; Rouster, Susan D.; Meeds, Heidi L.; Khalsa, Jag H.; Mandler, Raul N.; Lai, Shenghan; and Baum, Marianna K., "Cocaine use associated gut permeability and microbial translocation in people living with HIV in the Miami Adult Study on HIV (MASH) cohort" (2022). GW Authored Works. Paper 1797.
https://hsrc.himmelfarb.gwu.edu/gwhpubs/1797

Department

Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine