Drs. Ling Wang and Zhi Q. Yao are the corresponding authors for the article, “Circulating GDF-15: a biomarker for metabolic dysregulation and aging in people living with HIV,” published in Frontiers in Aging.
Despite effective control of HIV replication by antiretroviral therapy (ART), a significant number of people living with HIV (PLWH) fail to achieve complete immune reconstitution and thus are deemed immune non-responders (INRs). Compared with immune responders (IRs) who have restored their CD4 T cell numbers and functions, CD4 T cells from these INRs exhibit prominent mitochondrial dysfunction and premature aging, which play a major role in increasing the incidence of non-AIDS, non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
Dr. Wang states, “To date, there are no reliable biomarkers that can be used to typify and therapeutically manage people living with HIV, especially immune non-responding individuals with non-AIDS, non-communicable diseases. Growth differential factor-15 (GDF-15) is a transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) family member known to regulate several biological processes involved in cell aging and stress responses. Since people living with HIV exhibit premature aging and metabolic dysregulation, we measured the plasma levels of GDF-15 by ELISA and metabolic proteins by proteomic array and correlated the results with clinical parameters in ART-controlled individuals with HIV, including INRs and IRs, along with healthy subjects (HS). We found that GDF-15 levels were significantly elevated in people living with HIV compared to health subjects.” GDF-15 levels were positively correlated with age and negatively associated with body mass and LDL cholesterol levels in the study subjects. Also, elevated GDF-15 levels were correlated with differential dysregulation of multiple metabolic proteins in PLWH. These results suggest that GDF-15 protein may serve as a biomarker of metabolic dysregulation and aging, and this biomarker will be useful in clinical trials targeting aging and metabolic disorders in ART-treated PLWH.
Dr. Wang is an Associate Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine. Dr. Yao is a Professor and Chief of the Research Division in the Department of Internal Medicine.He holds the Paul Dishner Chair of Excellence in Medicine.
Authors (CIIDI Members/Student Members in bold): Ling Wang, Juan Zhao, Madison Schank, Addison C. Hill, Puja Banik, Yi Zhang, Xiao Y. Wu, Janet W. Lightner, Shunbin Ning, Mohammed El Gazzar, Jonathan P. Moorman, Zhi Q. Yao