Longitudinal Changes in Epigenetic Age Acceleration in Aviremic Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Recipients of Long-term Antiretroviral Treatment

Background. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection induces epigenetic age acceleration (EAA), but it remains unclear whether epigenetic aging continues to accelerate during successful antiretroviral therapy (ART) and prolonged virological suppression. Methods. We longitudinally analyzed 63 long-term aviremic HIV-infected adults. Using blood DNA methylation patterns, we calculated EAA measures based on 3 epigenetic clocks (Horvath's clock, PhenoAge, and GrimAge). We recorded the emergence of serious AIDS-related and non-AIDS-related events throughout the study to assess its association with EAA. Results. All participants were on stable ART and were virologically suppressed. After 4 years of follow-up, PhenoAge-EAA and GrimAge-EAA showed no differences, whereas Horvath-EAA slightly decreased (median difference, -0.53 years; P = .015). Longitudinal changes in EAA measures were independent of changes in CD4 cell counts, the ART regimen, or other HIV-related factors. Nineteen percent of participants experienced a serious clinical event during the study. Horvath-EAA was significantly higher at baseline in participants with clinical events (P = .027). After adjusting for confounders, we found a trend toward an association of higher levels of all EAA measures at baseline with serious clinical events. Conclusions. Epigenetic aging did not accelerate in long-term aviremic HIV-infected adults after 4 years of successful ART. EAA measures deserve further study as potential tools for predicting clinical events.

Automated summary

The study found that epigenetic aging did not continue to accelerate in long-term aviremic HIV-infected adults after 4 years of successful ART. Changes in EAA measures were independent of CD4 cell counts, ART regimen, or other HIV-related factors. Some participants experienced serious clinical events during the study, with a trend towards higher levels of EAA measures at baseline being associated with these events after adjusting for confounders.