ArticleBrain, behavior, and immunity2008
Stimulant use is associated with immune activation and depleted tryptophan among HIV-positive persons on anti-retroviral therapy.
Article in Brain, behavior, and immunity, 2008. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 46 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
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Who cites it
46 citing papers in PubMed, 62 citations in OpenAlex.
- Influence of cocaine use reduction on markers of immune function.Journal of neuroimmunology · 2024Trial
- A positive affect intervention alters leukocyte DNA methylation in sexual minority men with HIV who use methamphetamine.Brain, behavior, and immunity · 2024Trial
- Blue Monday: Co-occurring Stimulant Use and HIV Persistence Predict Dysregulated Catecholamine Synthesis.Journal of acquired immune deficiency syndromes (1999) · 2021Trial
- Recent stimulant use and leukocyte gene expression in methamphetamine users with treated HIV infection.Brain, behavior, and immunity · 2018Trial
- Family mechanisms of structural ecosystems therapy for HIV-seropositive women in drug recovery.Health psychology : official journal of the Division of Health Psychology, American Psychological Association · 2012Trial
- Psychosocial, Behavioral, and HIV-Related Health Among Men Living with HIV Who Have a History of Incarceration.AIDS and behavior · 2026Article
- Body talk: Correlates of gut-immune dysregulation phenotypes in people living with HIV who use methamphetamine.Brain, behavior, & immunity - health · 2026Article
- Correlates of Sexual Minority Stress Profiles in Sexual Minority Men Living with HIV Who Use Stimulants.Archives of sexual behavior · 2026Article
- Article
- Suboptimal ART adherence, undetectable urine tenofovir, and higher C-reactive protein values.AIDS (London, England) · 2025Article
- Stimulant Use, HIV, and Plasma Metabolites Among Men.Journal of neuroimmune pharmacology : the official journal of the Society on NeuroImmune Pharmacology · 2025Article
- Impaired extinction of cocaine seeking in HIV-infected mice is accompanied by peripheral and central immune dysregulation.Communications biology · 2024Article
- Overamped: Stimulant Use and HIV Pathogenesis.Current HIV/AIDS reports · 2023Review
- Impaired extinction of cocaine seeking in HIV-infected mice is accompanied by peripheral and central immune dysregulation.Research square · 2023Article
- Tryptophan and Substance Abuse: Mechanisms and Impact.International journal of molecular sciences · 2023Review
- Astrocytes: Role in pathogenesis and effect of commonly misused drugs in the HIV infected brain.Current research in neurobiology · 2023Review
- Psychostimulant-induced aberrant DNA methylation in an in vitro model of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells.Clinical epigenetics · 2022Article
- HIV-related drivers of sexual compulsivity and sexuality in sexual minority men who use methamphetamine.Journal of neurovirology · 2022Article
- Immune Activation: A Link Between Food Insecurity and Chronic Disease in People Living With Human Immunodeficiency Virus.The Journal of infectious diseases · 2021Article
- Drugs of Abuse and Their Impact on Viral Pathogenesis.Viruses · 2021Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
Cocaine, crack, and methamphetamine are stimulants that promote autonomic nervous system activation. Although these stimulants may have immunomodulatory effects, relatively few studies have examined this possibility. The present cross-sectional investigation utilized baseline data from 127 HIV-positive individuals on anti-retroviral therapy (ART) that were enrolled in a randomized controlled trial. The goal of this study was to examine whether stimulant use is independently associated with immune activation and indices of tryptophan degradation. Forty-four participants reported using stimulants 2-3 times a month or more (i.e., monthly stimulant use) and a sub-set of these (n=27) reported using stimulants once a week or more (i.e., weekly stimulant use) during the past three months. These stimulant-using groups were compared to a group of participants who reported no stimulant use (n=83) during the past three months. Results indicated that individuals who reported either monthly or weekly stimulant use displayed elevated neopterin, a measure of immune activation. Those who reported weekly stimulant use also displayed a markedly elevated HIV viral load and lower tryptophan levels. Even after controlling for self-reported ART non-adherence, weekly stimulant use was independently associated with higher neopterin, elevated HIV viral load, and lower tryptophan. To our knowledge, this is the first study to observe that stimulant use may independently promote immune activation and tryptophan degradation among HIV-positive persons on ART. Further research is needed to replicate these findings and examine the plausible bio-behavioral pathways that may account for the effects of stimulant use on HIV disease markers and depleted tryptophan.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.