Dopamine-regulated biomarkers in peripheral blood of HIV+ Methamphetamine users

HIV and Methamphetamine study - Translational Methamphetamine AIDS Research Center - Dopamine-regulated inflammatory biomarkers A digital transcript panel was custom-made based on Hs_NeuroPath_v1 (Nanostring) to accommodate dopamine-regulated inflammatory genes that were previously identified in vitro, and hypothesized to cluster HIV+ Methamphetamine users. Specimens were peripheral blood leukocytes isolated from participants that included adults enrolled by NIH-funded studies at the University of California San Diego’s HIV Neurobehavioral Research Program (HNRP) and Translational Methamphetamine Research Center (TMARC) under informed consent and approved protocols. The subset of PWH and PWoH selected for this study were by design males, between 35 – 44 years old, due to cohort characteristics and to increase statistical power. The participants were divided based on HIV serostatus (HIV+/-) and Meth use (METH+/-). METH+ was defined as meeting lifetime DSM-IV criteria for methamphetamine use or dependence, and METH dependence or abuse within 18 months (LT Methamphetamine Dx), with 8.2% urine toxicology positive/current METH users. A cross-sectional design assembled the following groups: HIV-METH- , HIV+METH- , HIV-METH+ , and HIV+METH+. Exclusion criteria were a history of non-HIV-related neurological, medical, or psychiatric disorders that affect brain function (e.g., schizophrenia, traumatic brain injury, epilepsy), learning disabilities, or dementia.