Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2025 Jun 1;39(7):838-847.
doi: 10.1097/QAD.0000000000004143. Epub 2025 Feb 4.

Cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers of inflammation and immune activation associated with neurocognitive impairment among US Latinos with HIV

Monica M Diaz  1   2 , Lily Kamalyan  3   4 , Tala Al-Rousan  5 , Jordana Breton  3   6 , Donald R Franklin Jr  3 , Anya Umlauf  3 , Ronald J Ellis  2   3 , Mariana Cherner  3 , Jennifer Iudicello  3 , Robert K Heaton  3 , Scott L Letendre  7 , María J Marquine  3   8
Affiliations

Cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers of inflammation and immune activation associated with neurocognitive impairment among US Latinos with HIV

Monica M Diaz et al. AIDS. .

Abstract

Objective: Examine the association between markers of inflammation in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and neurocognitive impairment (NCI) among diverse persons with HIV (PWH).

Background: Latino PWH are at higher risk for NCI than non-Latino White PWH (NLW). Evidence of inflammation in CSF can be higher among racial and ethnic minority PWH and has been linked to NCI.

Methods: We performed a retrospective cross-sectional analysis of 363 PWH who identified as Latinos or NLW. Neurocognitive performance was measured by a comprehensive battery. A focused panel of biomarkers [interleukin-6 (IL-6), soluble CD14 (sCD14), interferon-γ-inducible protein-10 (IP-10), neurofilament light chain (NFL)] was measured in CSF by immunoassay. Covariates included demographic, HIV disease, medical, psychiatric, and substance use characteristics.

Results: The cohort consisted of 126 Latinos and 237 NLW (age: M = 42.5, SD = 11.0, 88% male, 51.5% AIDS history; 64% on antiretroviral therapy). Latinos had significantly higher NFL levels than NLW ( P < 0.0001, adjusted Cohen's d 1.15), but not among virally-suppressed PWH. In the entire cohort, higher sCD14 was associated with NCI (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 2.6, confidence interval (CI) = 1.1-6.5] after adjusting for statistically significant covariates.

Conclusions: We did not identify a relationship between ethnicity, inflammation and NCI in this cohort. Future studies might examine sociocultural factors leading to increased inflammation in the CSF in diverse PWH.

Keywords: HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder; Latino; biomarkers; cognitive function; ethnicity; inflammation.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. World Health Organization. HIV/AIDS In. Edited by World Health Organization; 2020.
    1. Heaton RK, Franklin DR, Ellis RJ, McCutchan JA, Letendre SL, Leblanc S, et al. HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders before and during the era of combination antiretroviral therapy: differences in rates, nature, and predictors. J Neurovirol 2011; 17(1):3–16. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Heaton RK, Clifford DB, Franklin DR Jr, Woods SP, Ake C, Vaida F, et al. HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders persist in the era of potent antiretroviral therapy: CHARTER Study. Neurology 2010; 75(23):2087–2096. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Wang Y LM, Lu Q, Farrell M, Lappin JM, Shi J, Lu L, Bao Y. Global prevalence and burden of HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder: A meta-analysis. Neurology. 2020. Nov 10;95(19):e2610–e2621. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000010752. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Amara PS NZ, Wichman CS, Fox HS, Baccaglini L. Neurocognitive impairment and health-related quality of life among people living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). PLoS One. 2021. Apr 1;16(4):e0248802. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0248802. - DOI - PMC - PubMed