Sexual Minority Stress and Cellular Aging in Methamphetamine-Using Sexual Minority Men With Treated HIV. Issue 8 (16th October 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ghanooni, Delaram; Carrico, Adam W.; Williams, Renessa; Glynn, Tiffany R.; Moskowitz, Judith T.; Pahwa, Savita; Pallikkuth, Suresh; Roach, Margaret E.; Dilworth, Samantha; Aouizerat, Bradley E.; Flentje, Annesa
• Is Part Of: Psychosomatic medicine. Volume 84:Issue 8(2022)
• Page Start: 949
• Page End: 956
• Publication Date: 2022-10-16
• Subjects: aging -- epigenetic clock -- HIV -- methamphetamine -- sexual minority stress -- ANS = autonomic nervous system -- ART = antiretroviral therapy -- ASI = Addiction Severity Index -- CTRA = conserved transcriptional response to adversity -- EEAA = extrinsic epigenetic age acceleration -- HIV = human immunodeficiency virus -- HPA axis = hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis -- IL-6 = interleukin-6 -- mRNA = messenger RNA -- sCD14 = soluble CD14 -- sCD163 = soluble CD163 -- TNF-α = tumor necrosis factor - alpha; Medicine, Psychosomatic -- Periodicals; 616.0805
• DOI: 10.1097/PSY.0000000000001123
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0033-3174

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Objective: Sexual minority men (e.g., gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men) experience stigma and sexual minority stress, which are theorized to drive negative health outcomes. Sexual minority men with treated HIV display persistent immune dysregulation, which could be amplified by sexual minority stress responses to potentiate cellular aging. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 52 sexual minority men living with HIV who had undetectable viral load (<40 copies/mL) and biologically confirmed recent methamphetamine use. Participants completed measures assessing sexual minority stress and openness about sexual minority status (i.e., outness). DNA methylation–derived outcomes included the following: the extrinsic epigenetic age acceleration clock, telomere length, naive CD4+ T-helper cells, and naive CD8+ T-cytotoxic/suppressor cells. Results: After adjusting for negative affect and recent stimulant use, higher sexual minority stress was associated with a faster extrinsic epigenetic age acceleration clock ( β = 0.29, p = .030), shorter telomere length ( β = −0.43, p = .002), and fewer naive CD4+ (β = −0.57, p < .001) and naive CD8+ T cells ( β = −0.57, p < .001). Greater outness was associated with higher naive CD4+ ( β = 0.32, p = .030) and naive CD8+ T cells ( β = 0.38, p = .008) as well as lower plasma interleukin 6 ( β = −0.33, p = .027). Conclusions: Sexual minority stress processes are associated with markers of cellular aging and inflammation in methamphetamine-using sexual minority men living with HIV. Longitudinal research should elucidate biobehavioral mechanisms linking sexual minority stress processes with accelerated cellular aging in those with and without HIV.