Quantitative Studies of HIV Latency

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Association of the practice of contact sports with the development of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Publication . Henriques, Ana; Gromicho, Marta; Grosskreutz, Julian; Kuzma-Kozakiewicz, Magdalena; Petri, Susanne; Uysal, Hilmi; Pinto, Susana; Antunes, Marilia; Carvalho, Mamede; Ribeiro, Ruy

Objectives: High-intensity physical activity and sports prone to repetitive injuries of the cervical spine and head (when associated with vigorous practice) have been suggested as possible risk factors for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Our objective was to evaluate the relationship between the practice of contact sports (boxing, hockey, football, rugby) and ALS. Methods: The study included 2247 individuals, 1326 patients and 921 controls from several European countries. Analysis of the effect of contact sports on ALS was conducted in male participants only, as very few women practiced contact sports. Logistic regression models were used with the response variable as the presence or absence of ALS, with α = 0.05 significance level. Results: A relationship between the practice of contact sports and ALS was found, with those practicing contact sports having 76% higher odds of an ALS diagnosis (OR = 1.76, p = 0.001). In addition, univariate analyses for age (higher risk for older people, p < 0.001), smoking status (higher risk for ex-smokers, p = 0.022) and tobacco exposure (higher risk for more exposure, p = 0.038) also indicated that these variables are risk factors for ALS. In multivariate models, in addition to age, the interaction term between practice of contact sports and tobacco exposure was still significant (p = 0.03). Conclusions: This is one of the largest studies on the role of contact sport in ALS development. Our results support the existence of a relationship between the practice of sports with repetitive trauma at the level of the cervical spine and head, and ALS. This risk appears to be enhanced by tobacco exposure.

2023Artigo científico

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High-fat diet exacerbates SIV pathogenesis and accelerates disease progression

Publication . He, Tianyu; Xu, Cuiling; Krampe, Noah; Dillon, Stephanie M.; Sette, Paola; Falwell, Elizabeth; Haret-Richter, George S.; Butterfield, Tiffany; Dunsmore, Tammy L.; McFadden, William M.; Martin, Kathryn J.; Policicchio, Benjamin B.; Raehtz, Kevin D.; Penn, Ellen P.; Tracy, Russell P.; Ribeiro, Ruy M.; Frank, Daniel N.; Wilson, Cara C.; Landay, Alan L.; Apetrei, Cristian; Pandrea, Ivona

Consuming a high-fat diet (HFD) is a risk factor for obesity and diabetes; both of these diseases are also associated with systemic inflammation, similar to HIV infection. A HFD induces intestinal dysbiosis and impairs liver function and coagulation, with a potential negative impact on HIV/SIV pathogenesis. We administered a HFD rich in saturated fats and cholesterol to nonpathogenic (African green monkeys) and pathogenic (pigtailed macaques) SIV hosts. The HFD had a negative impact on SIV disease progression in both species. Thus, increased cell-associated SIV DNA and RNA occurred in the HFD-receiving nonhuman primates, indicating a potential reservoir expansion. The HFD induced prominent immune cell infiltration in the adipose tissue, an important SIV reservoir, and heightened systemic immune activation and inflammation, altering the intestinal immune environment and triggering gut damage and microbial translocation. Furthermore, HFD altered lipid metabolism and HDL oxidation and also induced liver steatosis and fibrosis. These metabolic disturbances triggered incipient atherosclerosis and heightened cardiovascular risk in the SIV-infected HFD-receiving nonhuman primates. Our study demonstrates that dietary intake has a discernable impact on the natural history of HIV/SIV infections and suggests that dietary changes can be used as adjuvant approaches for HIV-infected subjects, to reduce inflammation and the risk of non-AIDS comorbidities and possibly other infectious diseases.

2019Artigo científico

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Entidade financiadora

Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia

Programa de financiamento

3599-PPCDT

Número da atribuição

PTDC/MAT-APL/31602/2017