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.

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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]