UC San Diego

Methamphetamine (METH) use disorder is highly prevalent among people with HIV (PWH) and is a significant public health problem. HIV and METH use are each associated with immune system dysfunction; however, the combined effects on the immune system are poorly understood. This cross-sectional project measured soluble immune biomarkers in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) collected from a control group, people with a history of a METH use disorder (METH+), PWH with no history of METH use disorder (HIV+), and PWH with a history of METH use disorder (HIV+/METH+). HIV, METH, and immune dysfunction can also be associated with affective and cognitive deficits, so we characterized mood and cognition in our participants. Two factor analyses were performed for the plasma and CSF biomarkers. Plasma IL-8, Ccl2, VEGF, and 8-isoprostane loaded onto one factor that was highest in the HIV+/METH+ group (p < 0.047) reflecting worse inflammation, vascular injury, and oxidative stress. This plasma factor was also negatively correlated with delayed recall (R = -0.49, p = 0.010), which was worst in the HIV+/METH+ group (p = 0.030 compared to the control group). Overall, these data implicate that combined HIV-1 infection and METH use may exacerbate inflammation, leading to worse cognition.