Chicago-Cook County MWCCS Publications

The study aimed to find differences in Trichomonas vaginalis (TV) prevalence among women living with HIV (WLWH) over time. Results showed that TV rates are low among WLWH and HIV does not increase TV risk. Therefore, screening for TV may be helpful for newly diagnosed WLWH, women with risk factors, or those receiving care irregularly, but it is unlikely to further reduce the low rate of TV among women in care, especially older women without multiple partners.

Citation: Daubert EM, Dionne J, Atrio J, Knittel AK, Kassaye SG, Seidman D, Long A, Brockmann S, Ofotokun I, Fischl MA, Massad LS, Weber KM. Declining Prevalence of Trichomonas vaginalis Diagnosed by Wet Mount in a Cohort of U.S. Women With and Without HIV. J Womens Health (Larchmt). 2024 Jan 12. doi: 10.1089/jwh.2023.0263. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38215275.

Poor sleep health is often overlooked, especially for people with HIV. The study aimed to learn more about the connection between gut bacteria and sleep. Researchers found that seventeen different groups of microorganisms are linked to sleep quality and timing. One of these groups, called Butyricimonas, seems to be especially important for maintaining healthy sleep continuity. However, Butyricimonas is less common in women with HIV.

Citation: Zhang Y, Lin CL, Weber KM, Xing J, Peters BA, Sollecito CC, Grassi E, Wiek F, Xue X, Seaberg EC, Gustafson D, Anastos K, Sharma A, Burgess HJ, Burk RD, Qi Q, French AL. Association of Gut Microbiota With Objective Sleep Measures in Women With and Without Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection: The IDOze Study. J Infect Dis. 2023 Nov 11;228(10):1456-1466. doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiad371. PMID: 37650624; PMCID: PMC10640774.

Bone loss and cognitive impairment are common in women living with HIV and are exacerbated by menopause. The study aimed to investigate the link between 2 proteins (undercarboxylated osteocalcin and sclerostin) and cognition in midlife women with and without HIV. Researchers found that neither of these proteins predicted changes in neuropsychological performance over time in the overall group or in WLWH. ucOCN was positively linked with executive function in the overall group and in WLWH. Also, ucOCN was associated with better motor skills in WLWH. However, there was a negative association between ucOCN and attention/working memory in all participants.

Citation: Ross RD, Olali AZ, Shi Q, Hoover DR, Sharma A, Weber KM, French AL, McKay H, Tien PC, Yin MT, Rubin LH. Brief Report: Undercarboxylated Osteocalcin Is Associated With Cognition in Women With and Without HIV. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2022 Oct 1;91(2):162-167. doi: 10.1097/QAI.0000000000003043. PMID: 36094482; PMCID: PMC9470989.

The study aimed to look at the overnight concentration of urinary melatonin in people with HIV. Melatonin is a hormone that regulates sleep and has anti-inflammatory properties. Results showed that melatonin levels did not differ between women with and without HIV, but more than 40% of women had low melatonin levels. Higher body mass index (BMI) predicted lower levels of melatonin, which is associated with lower sleep efficiency. Supplemental melatonin could improve sleep in women with lower levels of melatonin.

Citation: Burgess HJ, Weber KM, Morack R, Yohannes T, Xing J, Xue X, Gustafson D, Sharma A, Daubert E, Rogando AC, French AL. Overnight urinary melatonin levels in women with and without HIV: An observational cohort study. Brain Behav. 2023 Oct;13(10):e3206. doi: 10.1002/brb3.3206. Epub 2023 Aug 7. PMID: 37548505; PMCID: PMC10570498.

WLWH experience high rates of depression but remain underrepresented in mental health research. The study aimed to test the feasibility and acceptability of a five-week, self-guided, web-based positive affect skills intervention. The researchers found that the intervention was feasibe and the WLWH who participated in the study reported that they would recommend the program to a friend and others living with HIV. Feedback from participants will be used to adapt and improve this intervention.

Citation: Freedman ME, Weber KM, Yohannes T, Cohen MH, Moskowitz JT. A web-based positive-affect intervention to reduce stress and improve well-being in women living with HIV – feasibility and acceptability of a single-arm, pilot study. AIDS Care. 2023 Jun 13:1-7. doi: 10.1080/09540121.2023.2221423. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37311108; PMCID: PMC10716357.

People with HIV are more likely to develop osteoporosis, which causes bones to weaken and break more easily. The review aimed to look at what we currently know about the effects of HIV, HIV disease-related factors, and antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) on bone quality. Findings suggest that both HIV infection and ARVs negatively affect bone architecture. We need future studies to find out which factors, viral or ARVs, contribute to loss of bone quality and which bone quality factors are associated with fracture risk.

Citation: Olali AZ, Carpenter KA, Myers M, Sharma A, Yin MT, Al-Harthi L, Ross RD. Bone Quality in Relation to HIV and Antiretroviral Drugs. Curr HIV/AIDS Rep. 2022 Oct;19(5):312-327. doi: 10.1007/s11904-022-00613-1. Epub 2022 Jun 20. PMID: 35726043; PMCID: PMC10309294.

HIV infection can directly and indirectly lead to poor sleep quality. Disturbances in sleep have been associated with systemic inflammation and worsening of many medical and mental health problems including mood and anxiety disorders. Individuals living with HIV are also at higher risk for these same conditions that may cause poor sleep. We are trying to understand sleep quality and the extent that sleep disturbances occur in WIHS women and whether this is influenced by HIV and other factors. We examined the association between measures of sleep quality and mental health. We used an easy to administer but well validated self-report questionnaire called the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index or PSQI.

Citation: Daubert E, French AL, Burgess HJ, Sharma A, Gustafson D, Cribbs SK, Weiss DJ, Ramirez C, Konkle-Parker D, Kassaye S, Weber KM. Association of Poor Sleep With Depressive and Anxiety Symptoms by HIV Disease Status: Women’s Interagency HIV Study. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2022 Feb 1;89(2):222-230. doi: 10.1097/QAI.0000000000002847. PMID: 34732681; PMCID: PMC8740603.

People with HIV suffer from a more sleep and circadian disruption than those without HIV. Melatonin is a hormone produced by the body that has a role in sleep and circadian regulation and has anti-inflammation properties. We studied overnight melatonin concentrations from urine in women with and without HIV and compared it to sleep quality measured by wrist actigraphy–a device worn overnight on the wrist that measures heart rate and movement. Melatonin levels did not differ between women with or without HIV, but more than 40% of women had low levels of melatonin. Higher body mass index predicted lower levels of melatonin and lower levels of melatonin were associated with lower sleep efficiency as assessed with wrist actigraphy. We hope this information will help better understand sleep disturbance in women like those in the MWCCS and perhaps suggest ways to help improve sleep quality.

Citation: Rogando AC, Weber KM, Xing J, Xue X, Yohannes T, Morack R, Qi Q, Clish C, Bullock K, Gustafson D, Anastos K, Sharma A, Burgess HJ, French AL. The IDOze Study: The Link Between Sleep Disruption and Tryptophan-Kynurenine Pathway Activation in Women With Human Immunodeficiency Virus. J Infect Dis. 2022 Oct 17;226(8):1451-1460. doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiac287. PMID: 35801535; PMCID: PMC9989737.

We looked at HIV positive women who had been cured of hepatitis C with medications. We measured blood markers of inflammation and activation of macrophages, a kind of white blood cell, before and after successful treatment for hepatitis C. We found that markers of inflammation decreased. We also looked a markers of liver damage and found that these improved with the treatment of hepatitis C, and, that the more the liver damage improved, the more the blood markers of inflammation improved.

 Citation: French AL, Grennan D, Daubert E, Seaberg EC, Peters M, Augenbraun M, Fischl M, Kassaye S, Franco R, Kuniholm M, Adimora AA, Workowski K, Weber KM. Decreases in markers of monocyte/macrophage activation after hepatitis C eradication in HIV/hepatitis C virus coinfected women. AIDS. 2021 Jul 15;35(9):1433-1438. doi: 10.1097/QAD.0000000000002869. PMID: 33710024; PMCID: PMC8845487.

All women have bacteria in their vagina. Some types of bacteria in the vagina can be helpful to health while other types of bacteria can be harmful, but no one completely understands what causes changes in the types of bacteria in the vagina. We looked to see if the weight of a woman can affect the type of bacteria in the vagina. We found that obese women are more likely to have the helpful type of bacteria in the vagina then women with a normal weight, but only if the women are older. We also found that women with diabetes are more likely to have the more helpful type of bacteria, but only if the women are younger. This information may help us to understand what causes changes in the types of bacteria and help us to figure out ways to change the type of bacteria to benefit women’s health.

Citation: Daubert E, Weber KM, French AL, Seidman D, Michel K, Gustafson D, Murphy K, Muzny CA, Alcaide M, Sheth A, Adimora AA, Spear GT. Obesity is associated with lower bacterial vaginosis prevalence in menopausal but not pre-menopausal women in a retrospective analysis of the Women’s Interagency HIV Study. PLoS One. 2021 Mar 8;16(3):e0248136. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0248136. PMID: 33684141; PMCID: PMC7939367.