Adipose tissue aging partially accounts for fat alterations in HIV lipodystrophy

Figures & data

Table 1. Demographic, metabolic, anthropometric and body composition markers

	Controls (n = 34)	Elderly (n = 28)	PLWH-LD (n = 60)	P value
Sex (no. of men (%))	25 (73.5)	14 (50)	43 (71.7)
Age	40.82 ± 0.52	80.78 ± 1.14***	46.27 ± 1.05***###	<0.0001
Weight	74.34 ± 2.12	73.32 + 2.68	66.77 ± 1.65*	0.01
BMI	24.54 + 0.46	28.35 + 0.76***	24.10 ± 0.45###	<0.0001
Waist to Hip ratio	0.87 ± 0.01	0.92 ± 0.01**	0.95 ± 0.01***	<0.0001
Glucose (mmol/l)	4.84 ± 0.07	5.85 ± 0.21***	5.66 ± 0.15***	0.0001
Insulin (pmol/l)	40.28 ± 4.39	211.30 ± 20.51***	100.10 ± 8.68***###	<0.0001
HOMA-r	0.77 ± 0.08	2.61 ± 0.20*	1.98 ± 0.18***	<0.0001
Bilirubin (mmol/l)	8.00 ± 1.32	11.86 ± 0.94	8.46 ± 1.32###	0.04
AST	20.56 ± 1.17	21.47 ± 1.24	31.35 ± 1.9***###	<0.0001
ALT	23.76 ± 2.36	18.16 ± 1.00	37.32 ± 3.15**###	<0.0001
Triglycerides (mmol/l)	0.89 ± 0.06	1.03 ± 0.07	2.25 ± 0.17***###	<0.0001
Cholesterol (mmol/l)	5.16 ± 0.16	5.58 ± 0.17	5.20 ± 0.19	0.30
HDL (mmol/l)	1.48 ± 0.05	1.84 ± 0.06***	1.23 ± 0.04**###	<0.0001
LDL (mmol/l)	3.28 ± 0.15	3.73 ± 0.17	2.94 ± 0.15##	0.002
	(n = 9)	(n = 14)	(n = 20)
Total body fat (%)	26.31 ± 2.12	37.87 ± 1.41***	20.96 ± 1.57###	<0.0001
Trunk fat (kg)	9.59 ± 0.89	15.67 ± 1.05**	8.56 ± 1.05###	<0.0001
Appendicular fat (kg) Trunk/appendicular fat ratio	6.70 ± 0.62 1.48 ± 0.15	8.25 ± 0.35 2.03 ± 0.69	2.51 ± 0.32***### 4.11 ± 0.56**##	<0.0001 0.0005

Parameters are expressed as mean ± SEM unless specified. P values were calculated using one-way analysis of variance and Tukey post-test for parametric data. Comparison with Healthy is P < 0.05; ** when P < 0.01; *** when P< 0.001; # is shown when comparison with Elderly is P < 0.05; ## when P < 0.01; and ### when P < 0.001. BMI, body mass index; HDL, high-density lipoprotein, LDL, low-density lipoprotein, HOMA-r, homoeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance.

Figure 1. Circulating and transcript levels of inflammatory and adipose cytokines in elderly healthy and PLWH individuals with lipodystrophy, compared to healthy young controls. (a) Circulating levels of pro-inflammatory and metabolism-related cytokines in plasma from controls (n = 34), elderly (n = 28), and people living with HIV with lipodystrophy (PLWH-LD) (n = 60). (b) Proinflammatory and adipose metabolism-related mRNA levels in adipose tissue samples from the same three groups. The bars represent means ± SEM. Dotted line and grey bar represent mean ± SEM in healthy controls. (*p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001 compared with controls; #p < 0.05, ##p < 0.01 comparing PLWH-LD with elderly).

Figure 2. Senescence markers in elderly healthy and PLWH individuals with lipodystrophy, compared to healthy young controls. (a) mRNA levels of CDKN1A, CDKN2A, and MDM2 in adipose tissue samples from controls (n = 10), elderly (n = 12), and PLWH-LD (n = 18). (b) Representative image and quantification of P53 protein levels in control, elderly, and PLWH-LD adipose tissue samples (n = 3–4). C: Coomassie blue staining. (c) Telomere length measurements in adipose tissue samples from the same three groups, also including a subset of neonate samples (n = 5). The bars represent means ± SEM. Dotted line and grey bar represent mean ± SEM in healthy controls. (*p < 0.05, **p < 0.01 compared with controls).

Figure 3. Autophagy markers in elderly healthy and PLWH individuals with lipodystrophy, compared to healthy young controls. (a) Gene expression levels of autophagy markers in adipose tissue samples from controls (n = 10), elderly (n = 12), and PLWH-LD (n = 18). (b) Representative image and quantification of LC3B-II protein levels in control, elderly, and PLWH-LD adipose tissue samples (n = 3–6). C: Coomassie blue staining. The bars represent means ± SEM. Dotted line and grey bar represent mean ± SEM in healthy controls. (*p < 0.05, **p < 0.01 compared with controls).

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are openly available in Adipoplast website at https://adipoplast.org/datebase/