T Lymphocyte Subsets Associated With Prevalent Diabetes in Veterans With and Without Human Immunodeficiency Virus

Bictegravir alters glucose tolerance in vivo and causes hepatic mitochondrial dysfunction

Growing evidence associates antiretroviral therapies containing integrase strand transfer inhibitors or tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) with increased weight gain and metabolic diseases, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This study evaluated the impact of lamivudine, dolutegravir (DTG), bictegravir (BIC), tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, and TAF on metabolic alterations, and explored glucose homeostasis and mitochondrial stress as potential mechanisms. These pathways were analyzed both in vivo (C57BL/6J mice treated with the abovementioned drugs or vehicle for 16 weeks) and in vitro (in Hep3B cells). Mice treated with BIC exhibited higher glucose levels and a slower decrease during a glucose tolerance test. Functional enrichment analyses of livers from antiretroviral-treated mice revealed that only BIC altered the cellular response to insulin and induced a gluconeogenic-favoring profile, with Fgf21 playing a significant role. In vitro, BIC significantly reduced hepatocyte glucose uptake in a concentration-dependent manner, both under basal conditions and post-insulin stimulation, while the other drugs produced no significant changes. Hep3B cells treated with clinically relevant concentrations of BIC exhibited significant alterations in the mRNA expression of enzymes related to glucose metabolism. Both DTG and BIC reduced mitochondrial dehydrogenase activity, but only BIC increased reactive oxygen species, mitochondrial membrane potential, and cellular granularity, thereby indicating mitochondrial stress. BIC promoted mitochondrial dysfunction, modified carbohydrate metabolism and glucose consumption in hepatocytes, and altered glucose tolerance and gluconeogenesis regulation in mice. These findings suggest that BIC contributes to insulin resistance and diabetes in people living with HIV, warranting clinical studies to clarify its association with carbohydrate metabolism disorders.

Risk factors for progression from prediabetes to diabetes among older people with HIV

OBJECTIVE

Risk factors for progression from prediabetes mellitus (pre-DM) to diabetes mellitus (DM) among people with HIV (PWH) receiving modern antiretroviral therapy (ART) require better characterization.

DESIGN

AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG) A5322 (HAILO) was an observational cohort study of PWH ≥40 years old. Participants initiated ART through ACTG randomized clinical trials.

METHODS

We used Cox proportional hazards regression models to identify risk factors for development of DM among HAILO participants with pre-DM.

RESULTS

Among 1035 HAILO participants, 74 (7%) had pre-DM at entry and another 679 (66%) developed pre-DM during follow-up. Of 753 PWH with pre-DM, 167 (22%) developed DM. In multivariable models, the risk of developing DM was greater with higher BMI, lower CD4 count (≤200 cells/mm 3 ), hypertriglyceridemia, or higher waist circumference at pre-DM diagnosis ( P  < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

Rates of pre-DM and progression to DM remain high among virally suppressed PWH receiving modern ART regimens. Traditional risks for DM, such as higher BMI or waist circumference, are associated with increased risk of incident DM among PWH with pre-DM. The association between lower CD4 + and progression to DM suggests a role for advanced immunodeficiency and inflammation. Further investigation of interventions aimed at preventing DM among PWH with pre-DM is needed. Optimizing prevention and treatment for DM may be an intervenable opportunity to improve long-term outcomes for PWH.

CD3+ T-cell: CD14+monocyte complexes are dynamic and increased with HIV and glucose intolerance

An increased risk of cardiometabolic disease accompanies persistent systemic inflammation. Yet, the innate and adaptive immune system features in persons who develop these conditions remain poorly defined. Doublets, or cell-cell complexes, are routinely eliminated from flow cytometric and other immune phenotyping analyses, which limits our understanding of their relationship to disease states. Using well-characterized clinical cohorts, including participants with controlled HIV as a model for chronic inflammation and increased immune cell interactions, we show that circulating CD14+ monocytes complexed to CD3+ T cells are dynamic, biologically relevant, and increased in individuals with diabetes after adjusting for confounding factors. The complexes form functional immune synapses with increased expression of proinflammatory cytokines and greater glucose utilization. Furthermore, in persons with HIV, the CD3+T-cell: CD14+monocyte complexes had more HIV copies compared to matched CD14+ monocytes or CD4+ T cells alone. Our results demonstrate that circulating CD3+T-cell:CD14+monocyte pairs represent dynamic cellular interactions that may contribute to inflammation and cardiometabolic disease pathogenesis and may originate or be maintained, in part, by chronic viral infections. These findings provide a foundation for future studies investigating mechanisms linking T cellmonocyte cell-cell complexes to developing immune-mediated diseases, including HIV and diabetes.

Clinical impact of transient lymphopenia

Transient or persistent immunosuppression is a known risk factor for morbidity and mortality in critically ill patients. Aim of the present study is to evaluate the lymphopenia in patients admitted to the Emergency Unit of AOU Policlinico Umberto I, to investigate its prevalence at admission and the persistence during hospitalization until discharge. Possible correlations were evaluated between lymphopenia, diagnosis of admission, comorbidities and chronic treatments. In this study, 240 patients (142 men; 98 female; mean age 75.1 ± 15.1) were enrolled. Patients were divided into two groups according to the lymphocytes count at hospital admission, namely "Group A" with lymphopenia and "Group B" with values in the normal range. Moreover, the patients in group A were distinguished in relation to the regression or persistence of the lymphopenia assessed at the time of hospital discharge (Group A1: persistence; Group A2: normalization). Prevalence of lymphopenia at admission was 57%; Group A showed higher mean age and percentage of patients over 65 years of age; and none differences were observed regarding gender. Prevalence of lymphopenia at admission was 57%; Group A showed higher mean age and percentage of patients over 65 years of age; no differences were observed regarding gender. All subsets of the lymphocytes (CD4+, CD8+, NK) were equally reduced. Persistent lymphopenia was found in 19% of patients. Lymphopenia should be valued at the time of hospital admission as a factor influencing the prognosis, the management and the treatment of these patients.

Circulating immune cell phenotypes are associated with age, sex, CMV, and smoking status in the Framingham Heart Study offspring participants

Understanding the composition of circulating immune cells with aging and the underlying biologic mechanisms driving aging may provide molecular targets to slow the aging process and reduce age-related disease. Utilizing cryopreserved cells from 996 Framingham Heart Study (FHS) Offspring Cohort participants aged 40 and older (mean 62 years, 48% female), we report on 116 immune cell phenotypes including monocytes, T-, B-, and NK cells and their subtypes, across age groups, sex, cytomegalovirus (CMV) exposure groups, smoking and other cardiovascular risk factors. The major cellular differences with CMV exposure were higher Granzyme B+ cells, effector cells, and effector-memory re-expressing CD45RA (TEMRA) cells for both CD4+ and CD8+. Older age was associated with lower CD3+ T cells, lower naïve cells and naïve/memory ratios for CD4+ and CD8+. We identified many immune cell differences by sex, with males showing lower naïve cells and higher effector and effector memory cells. Current smokers showed lower pro-inflammatory CD8 cells, higher CD8 regulatory type cells and altered B cell subsets. No significant associations were seen with BMI and other cardiovascular risk factors. Our cross-sectional observations of immune cell phenotypes provide a reference to further the understanding of the complexity of immune cells in blood, an easily accessible tissue.

Identification and verification of immune-related biomarkers and immune infiltration in diabetic heart failure

PURPOSE

Diabetic heart failure (DHF) or cardiomyopathy is a common complication of diabetes; however, the underlying mechanism is not clear. In the present study, the authors searched for differentially expressed genes associated with DHF and the molecular types of immune cells based on bioinformatics.

METHODS

The RNA expression dataset of DHF was obtained from the NCBI Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. After preprocessing the data, the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the DHF group and the non-diabetic heart failure (NHF) group were screened and intersected with immune-related genes (IRGs) in the ImmPort database. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses were performed using the DAVID tool. The ssGSEA algorithm was used to evaluate immune infiltration of the heart tissue in each group. In addition, the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network and miRNA-mRNA network were constructed using the STRING online website and Cytoscape program. Finally, validation analysis was performed using animal models.

RESULTS

Eight immune-related core genes were identified. GO and KEGG showed that core genes were mainly enriched in angiogenesis and cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction. Immune infiltration results showed that activated dendritic cells, central memory CD4 T cells, central memory CD8 T cells, myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), neutrophils, and regulatory T cells may be involved in DHF. Neutrophils may play a key role in the pathogenesis of HF in diabetes.

CONCLUSION

Immune-related core genes and immune infiltrating cells provide a new perspective on the pathogenesis of DHF.

Monocyte-Lymphocyte Ratio and Dysglycemia: A Retrospective, Cross-Sectional Study of the Saudi Population

Background: Abnormalities in fasting blood glucose (FBG) resulting in hypoglycemia (OG), impaired fasting glycemia (IFG), or hyperglycemia (HG) arise from disordered metabolic regulation caused in part by inflammation. To date, there is a dearth of evidence regarding the clinical utility of the monocyte−lymphocyte ratio (MLR), an emerging inflammatory index, in the management of dysglycemia. Methods: This retrospective, cross-sectional study explored MLR fluctuations as a function of glycemic control in 14,173 Saudi subjects. Data collected from 11 August 2014 to 18 July 2020 were retrieved from Al-Borg Medical Laboratories. Medians were compared by Mann−Whitney U or Kruskal−Wallis tests and the prevalence, relative risk (RR), and odds ratio (OR) were calculated. Results: MLR was significantly elevated in IFG (p < 0.0001) and HG (p < 0.05) groups compared to the normoglycemia (NG) group, and individuals with elevated MLR (>0.191) had significantly increased FBG (p < 0.001). The risk of IFG (RR = 1.12, 95% CI: 1.06−1.19, p < 0.0002) and HG (RR = 1.10, 95% CI: 1.01−1.20, p < 0.0216) was significantly increased if MLR was elevated, and individuals with elevated MLR were 1.17 times more likely to have IFG (OR = 1.17, 95% CI: 1.08−1.26, p < 0.0002) and 1.13 times more likely to have HG (OR = 1.13, 95% CI: 1.02−1.24, p < 0.0216). Conclusion: Elevated MLR is correlated with and carries a greater risk for IFG and HG. However, large prospective cohort studies are needed to establish the temporal relationship between MLR and FBG and to examine the prognostic value of this novel marker.

Circulating differentiated and senescent lymphocyte subsets and incident diabetes risk in older adults: The Cardiovascular Health Study

INTRODUCTION

Cellular senescence is a feature of aging implicated in the pathophysiology of diabetes mellitus (DM). Whether senescent lymphocytes are associated with the future occurrence of DM is uncertain.

METHODS

We used cryopreserved peripheral blood mononuclear cells collected from 1860 Cardiovascular Health Study participants (average age 80.2 years) and flow cytometry immunophenotyping to evaluate the longitudinal relationships of naive (CD45RA⁺ ), memory (CD45RO⁺ ), senescent (CD28^- ), and T effector memory RA⁺ (TEMRA) (CD28^- CD57⁺ CD45RA⁺ ) CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells, and memory B cells (CD19⁺ CD27⁺ ), with the risk of incident DM. In exploratory analyses we evaluated the relationships of 13 additional innate lymphocyte and CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ subsets with incident DM risk.

RESULTS

Over a median follow-up time of 8.9 years, 155 cases of incident DM occurred. In Cox models adjusted for demographic variables (age, sex, race, study site and flow cytometry analytical batch) or diabetes risk factors (demographic variables plus education, body mass index, smoking status, alcohol use, systolic blood pressure, hypertension medication use and physical activity), no significant associations were observed for any CD4⁺ , CD8⁺ or CD19⁺ cell phenotypes with incident DM.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest the frequencies of naive, memory and senescent T cells and memory B cells are not strongly associated with incident DM risk in older adults.

Circulating T Cells and Cardiovascular Risk in People With and Without HIV Infection

BACKGROUND

Lower CD4+ cell count in people with HIV infection (PWH) is associated with increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Whether subsets of CD4+ T helper cells are linked with CVD is unclear.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to explore the association between peripherally circulating CD4+ T cell subsets and incident CVD.

METHODS

Data from 1,860 participants (1,270 PWH) without prevalent CVD from the VACS (Veterans Aging Cohort Study), a prospective, observational cohort of veterans with and without HIV infection, were analyzed. T cell subsets were quantified in baseline samples using flow cytometry. Incident CVD events were identified using International Classification of Diseases-9th Revision and International Classification of Diseases-10th Revision diagnosis and procedure codes. Participants were followed from baseline date (2005-2006) to the first of CVD incidence, death, or September 30, 2016. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to model associations between these T cell subsets and the risk for incident CVD while adjusting for demographics and other CVD risk factors.

RESULTS

The median participant age at baseline was 51.6 years. Most were male (94%) and of Black race (69.1%). There were 344 incident CVD events (219 in PWH) during follow-up (median 9.8 years). In PWH, higher proportions (per SD increment) of T helper type 17 cells (adjusted HR: 1.19; 95% CI: 1.08-1.31), T effector memory cells re-expressing CD45RA (adjusted HR: 1.19; 95% CI: 1.07-1.34), and CD28null cells (adjusted HR: 1.18; 95% CI: 1.03-1.34) were significantly associated with an increased risk for incident CVD. Among those without HIV infection, no T cell subsets were significantly associated with CVD.

CONCLUSIONS

Among PWH, T helper type 17 cells, senescent cells, and CD4+ T effector memory cells re-expressing CD45RA were significantly associated with incident CVD that was not explained by CVD risk factors.

Circulating CD4+ TEMRA and CD4+ CD28- T cells and incident diabetes among persons with and without HIV

OBJECTIVE

A higher proportion of circulating memory CD4+ T cells is associated with prevalent diabetes mellitus in persons with HIV (PWH) and HIV-negative persons. We assessed whether circulating T-cell subsets could also identify individuals who will subsequently develop diabetes.

DESIGN

This is a longitudinal follow-up study of PWH and similar HIV-negative individuals from the Veterans Aging Cohort Study who provided peripheral mononuclear blood cells between 2005 and 2007.

METHODS

We quantified T-cell subsets using flow cytometry and functional assays to identify CD4+ and CD8+ naive, activated, senescent, memory (central, effector, and effector RA+), and TH1, TH2, and TH17-phenotype cells. The occurrence of an incident diabetes diagnosis (i.e. after baseline blood draw) was adjudicated by a two-physician chart review. Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for traditional risk factors, cytomegalovirus serostatus, and plasma inflammatory biomarkers assessed the relationship between T-cell subsets and incident diabetes.

RESULTS

One thousand, eight hundred and thirty-seven participants (1259 PWH) without diabetes at baseline were included; 69% were black, 95% were men, and median follow-up was 8.6 years. Higher baseline frequencies of CD4+ T effector memory RA+ (TEMRA) cells defined as CD45RA+ CD27- (P = 0.04) and senescent T cells defined as CD4+ CD28- (P = 0.04) were associated with incident diabetes in PWH only.

CONCLUSIONS

Higher frequencies of CD4+ TEMRA and CD4+ CD28- T cells were associated with incident diabetes in PWH only after adjustment for other factors. Additional studies are necessary to assess whether these cells act in blood via inflammatory mediators or reflect T-cell populations in metabolically active tissues.

Associations of HIV and Depression with Incident Diabetes Mellitus: Veterans Aging Cohort Study

BACKGROUND

Persons with HIV (PWH) are at increasingly higher risk for metabolic complications, including diabetes mellitus (DM). Additionally, depression is highly prevalent among PWH and has been associated with increased risk for DM in the general population. However, the association of HIV and depression with incident DM has not been well established.

METHODS

Using the Veterans Aging Cohort Study (VACS), we selected adults with and without HIV who did not have DM at baseline. Prevalent depression was defined as having a Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) score of ≥10. Incident DM was identified using validated Kelly's criteria. Basic clinical and demographic characteristics were collected, and cox proportional hazards regression models were run to test the association between depression and incident DM stratified by HIV serostatus.

RESULTS

A total of 5,722 participants were analyzed, 2,886 (53%) had HIV and 1,124 (20%) had depression at baseline. 1,235 (22%) participants developed incident DM during follow-up, with 26% of HIV-negative participants developing DM compared to 17% of participants with HIV. Depression was significantly associated with increased risk of incident DM among HIV-negative participants (adjusted HR [aHR] = 1.31; p-value 0.003), but not among participants with HIV (aHR 1.09; p-value 0.44). However, among participants with HIV with baseline viral load < 500 copies/mL, we noted a stronger association between depression and incident DM.

CONCLUSIONS

Incident DM in the VACS cohort is significantly higher for HIV-negative participants compared to veterans with HIV. A significant association between depression and incident DM was noted among HIV-negative participants but not among those with HIV.

Diabetes Status and Association With Risk of Tuberculosis Among Korean Adults

IMPORTANCE

The risk of tuberculosis (TB) associated with diabetes status, considering impaired fasting glucose or duration of diabetes, has not been well established.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the association of diabetes status with the development of TB in the general population.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This population-based cohort study used data from the Korean National Health Insurance System database. Adult participants without a history of TB who underwent a health screening in 2009 were included. Eligible participants were followed up for incident TB cases from 1 year after the day of health screening until December 31, 2018. Data analysis was performed from September 2019 to September 2020.

EXPOSURES

Five levels of diabetes status were evaluated: normal glucose, impaired fasting glucose (considered as without diabetes), new-onset diabetes, diabetes duration less than 5 years, and diabetes duration 5 years or longer (considered as having diabetes).

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Newly diagnosed TB.

RESULTS

Among 4 423 177 participants, the mean (SD) age was 46.5 (13.9) years, and there were 2 597 142 men (58.7%). A total of 26 458 participants (0.6%) received a diagnosis of TB within a median (interquartile range) of 8.3 (8.1-8.6) years of follow-up. An increased risk of TB was observed in participants with diabetes compared with those without diabetes (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 1.48; 95% CI, 1.42-1.53). Although participants with impaired fasting glucose did not show an increased risk of TB incidence (aHR, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.93-1.01), the risk of TB incidence increased with diabetes duration (new-onset diabetes, aHR, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.23-1.42; diabetes duration <5 years, aHR, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.36-1.54; diabetes duration ≥5 years, aHR, 1.57; 95% CI, 1.48-1.66). Among participants with new-onset diabetes, compared with those in the lowest decile (fasting plasma glucose [FPG] level ≥126 but <128 mg/dL), the risk of TB was significantly increased for those in the highest decile (FPG level ≥202 mg/dL, aHR, 1.79; 95% CI, 1.42-2.26).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

These findings suggest that longer diabetes duration is associated with development of TB, showing a dose-response association. Among participants with new-onset diabetes, incident TB was more common among those with FPG levels greater than or equal to 202 mg/dL.

Risk of Incident Diabetes Mellitus, Weight Gain, and their Relationships with Integrase Inhibitor-based Initial Antiretroviral Therapy Among Persons with HIV in the US and Canada

BACKGROUND

Integrase strand transfer inhibitor (INSTI)-based combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) is associated with greater weight gain among persons with HIV, though the metabolic consequences, such as diabetes mellitus (DM), are unclear. We examined the impact of initial cART regimen and weight on incident DM in a large North American HIV cohort (NA-ACCORD).

METHODS

cART-naïve adults (≥18 years) initiating INSTI-, PI-, or NNRTI-based regimens from 01/2007-12/2017 who had weight measured 12 (±6) months after treatment initiation contributed time until clinical DM (HbA1c ≥6.5%, initiation of DM-specific medication, or new DM diagnosis plus DM-related medication), virologic failure, cART regimen switch, administrative close, death, or loss to follow-up. Multivariable Cox regression yielded adjusted hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals ([-]) for incident DM by cART class. Mediation analyses, with 12-month weight as mediator, adjusted for all covariates from the primary analysis.

RESULTS

Among 22,884 eligible individuals, 47% started NNRTI-, 30% PI-, and 23% INSTI-based cART with median follow-up of 3.0, 2.3, and 1.6 years, respectively. Overall, 722 (3%) developed DM. Persons starting INSTIs vs. NNRTIs had incident DM risk (HR=1.17 [0.92-1.48]) similar to PI- vs. NNRTI-initiators (HR=1.27 [1.07-1.51]). This effect was most pronounced for raltegravir- (HR=1.42 [1.06-1.91]) vs. NNRTI-initiators. The INSTI-DM association was attenuated (HR=1.03 [0.71-1.49] vs. NNRTIs) when accounting for 12-month weight.

CONCLUSIONS

Initiating first cART regimens with INSTIs or PIs vs. NNRTIs may confer greater risk of DM, likely mediated through weight gain. Further characterization of metabolic changes after INSTI initiation and potential therapeutic interventions are needed.

Analysis of the lymphocyte count in type 2 diabetic patients with coronavirus disease (COVID-19): A retrospective study in a centralized treatment center

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the characteristics of lymphocytes in type 2 diabetic patients with coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

METHODS

Patients with COVID-19 admitted to hospital in Wuxi, China from January 29 to March 15 were included in the study. Lymphocytes were measured and recorded at admission and during treatment. Hospitalization days, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) nucleic acid positive days, minimal lymphocyte count, and occurrence time were collected and comparatively analyzed. Correlations between minimal lymphocyte count and hospitalization days as well as SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid positive days were analyzed.

RESULTS

A total of 63 patients were included in the study, with 16 in the diabetic group and 47 in the non-diabetic group. After adjusting for potential confounding factors, we observed lower minimal lymphocyte count (0.67 ± 0.36 * 10⁹/L vs. 1.30 ± 0.54 * 10⁹/L, adjusted P = 0.001), earlier occurrence of the minimal lymphocyte count (2.68 ± 2.33 days vs. 5.29 ± 4.95 days, adjusted P = 0.042), and longer hospitalization time (20.44 ± 5.24 days vs. 17.11 ± 4.78 days, adjusted P = 0.047) in the diabetic group than in the non-diabetic group. There was a negative correlation between minimal lymphocyte count and hospitalization days (R = -0.600, P < 0.05) as well as SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid positive days (R = -0.420, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The diabetic group with COVID-19 had lower lymphocyte count, reached the minimal count faster, and had longer hospital stays than the non-diabetic group. Hospitalization days and SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid positive days were negatively correlated with the minimal lymphocyte count.