RESEARCH PAPER
Impact of clinical status at the time of HIV diagnosis on intensity of epigenetic ageing in HIV-infected men treated with integrase inhibitors
1
Department of Infectious Diseases, Liver Disease and Acquired Immune Deficiencies, Wroclaw Medical University, Poland
2
Department of Forensic Medicine, Division of Molecular Techniques, Wroclaw Medical University, Poland
3
Department of Control Systems and Mechatronics, Faculty of Information and Communication Technology, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Poland
4
1st Infectious Diseases Ward, J. Gromkowski Provincial Specialist Hospital in Wroclaw, Poland
Submission date: 2026-03-30
Acceptance date: 2026-05-05
Publication date: 2026-06-10
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Background:
We have recently published a study indicating that, given a wide range of confounding factors, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection remains an independent factor accelerating epigenetic ageing. In this research, a detailed analysis of medical history of ten (n = 10) participants from our previous study was conducted, for whom extreme results of global DNA methylation, a key marker of epigenetic ageing, were obtained.
Material and methods:
The current study included five (n = 5) patients with the highest levels of global DNA methylation, and five (n = 5) with the lowest levels of global DNA methylation. The current analysis focused particularly on clinical status at the time of HIV diagnosis and at the start of combined antiretroviral therapy.
Results:
In the analysis of continuous variables, no significant differences between groups were reported, even without multi-test corrections. This was attributable to small group sizes. The strongest (most negative) association was observed between global DNA methylation and years since HIV diagnosis (ρ = –0.400, permutation p = 0.249), followed by HIV RNA at diagnosis (ρ = –0.309, p = 0.386).
Conclusions:
No common, distinct feature distinguishing HIV-infected individuals with low versus high global DNA methylation levels was identified. However, the results suggest a negative correlation between the global DNA methylation level and the time since HIV diagnosis as well as viral load at diagnosis.
We have recently published a study indicating that, given a wide range of confounding factors, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection remains an independent factor accelerating epigenetic ageing. In this research, a detailed analysis of medical history of ten (n = 10) participants from our previous study was conducted, for whom extreme results of global DNA methylation, a key marker of epigenetic ageing, were obtained.
Material and methods:
The current study included five (n = 5) patients with the highest levels of global DNA methylation, and five (n = 5) with the lowest levels of global DNA methylation. The current analysis focused particularly on clinical status at the time of HIV diagnosis and at the start of combined antiretroviral therapy.
Results:
In the analysis of continuous variables, no significant differences between groups were reported, even without multi-test corrections. This was attributable to small group sizes. The strongest (most negative) association was observed between global DNA methylation and years since HIV diagnosis (ρ = –0.400, permutation p = 0.249), followed by HIV RNA at diagnosis (ρ = –0.309, p = 0.386).
Conclusions:
No common, distinct feature distinguishing HIV-infected individuals with low versus high global DNA methylation levels was identified. However, the results suggest a negative correlation between the global DNA methylation level and the time since HIV diagnosis as well as viral load at diagnosis.
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| eISSN: | 1732-2707 |
| ISSN: | 1730-1270 |
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