High-intensity cannabis use associated with lower plasma human immunodeficiency virus-1 RNA viral load among recently infected people who use injection drugs.
OBJECTIVE
Cannabis use is common among people who are living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). While there is growing pre-clinical evidence of the immunomodulatory and anti-viral effects of cannabinoids, their possible effects on HIV disease parameters in humans are largely unknown. Thus, we sought to investigate the possible effects of cannabis use on plasma HIV-1 RNA viral loads (pVLs) among recently seroconverted illicit drug users.


METHODS
We used data from two linked longitudinal observational cohorts of people who use injection drugs. Using multivariable linear mixed-effects modelling, we analysed the relationship between pVL and high-intensity cannabis use among participants who seroconverted following recruitment.


RESULTS
Between May 1996 and March 2012, 88 individuals seroconverted after recruitment and were included in these analyses. Median pVL in the first 365 days among all seroconverters was 4.66 log10 c mL(-1) . In a multivariable model, at least daily cannabis use was associated with 0.51 log10 c mL(-1) lower pVL (β = -0.51, standard error = 0.170, P value = 0.003).


CONCLUSIONS
Consistent with the findings from recent in vitro and in vivo studies, including one conducted among lentiviral-infected primates, we observed a strong association between cannabis use and lower pVL following seroconversion among illicit drug-using participants. Our findings support the further investigation of the immunomodulatory or antiviral effects of cannabinoids among individuals living with HIV/AIDS.
British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St. Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, Canada; Division of AIDS, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
M-J
MJ
Milloy
Brandon
B
Marshall
Thomas
T
Kerr
Lindsey
L
Richardson
Robert
R
Hogg
Silvia
S
Guillemi
Julio S G
JS
Montaner
Evan
E
Wood
D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002188:Cannabis; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D015497:HIV-1; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008385:Marijuana Smoking / Q000097:blood* / Q000628:therapy; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000821:virology; D019562:Viral Load / Q000379:methods
D015415:Biomarkers; D012367:RNA, Viral
HIV infection; cannabinoid; cannabis; disease progression; plasma HIV-1 RNA viral load