JAIDS, December 2021.
Research has demonstrated that starting antiretroviral therapy (ART) is associated with an increase in skeletal muscle, though it tends to be quite fatty. A5260s explored whether the gains in skeletal muscle area or the amount of fattiness were associated with markers of inflammation and immune activation. Individuals living with HIV were randomized to start treatment with raltegravir, ritonavir-boosted atazanavir, or darunavir, in combination with tenofovir disoproxil fumarate/emtricitabine. This substudy included 222 participants, analyzed abdominal computed tomography scans at baseline and week 96 for muscle amount and fattiness, and reviewed previously measured markers of inflammation and immune activation.
At baseline, greater muscle fat and lower muscle area were associated with higher inflammation and immune activation. From baseline to week 96, a greater increase in muscle fat and decrease in muscle area were associated with greater increases in inflammation and immune activation. Whether these muscle characteristics are the cause or the consequence of inflammation cannot be determined within this study. Future studies will need to explore the impact of these changes in muscle and inflammation on physical function and other complications, including cardiometabolic risk.
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