Short circuit: Disaggregation of adrenocorticotropic hormone and cortisol levels in HIV‐positive,methamphetamine‐using men who have sex with men |
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| Authors: | Adam W. Carrico Violeta J. Rodriguez Deborah L. Jones Mahendra Kumar |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Miami, School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA;2. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami, School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA;3. Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA |
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| Abstract: | Objective This study examined if methamphetamine use alone (METH + HIV?) and methamphetamine use in combination with HIV (METH + HIV+) were associated with hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenal (HPA) axis dysregulation as well as insulin resistance relative to a nonmethamphetamine‐using, HIV‐negative comparison group (METH‐HIV?). Methods Using an intact groups design, serum levels of HPA axis hormones in 46 METH + HIV? and 127 METH + HIV+ men who have sex with men (MSM) were compared to 136 METH‐HIV? men. Results There were no group differences in prevailing adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) or cortisol levels, but the association between ACTH and cortisol was moderated by METH + HIV+ group (β = ?0.19, p < .05). Compared to METH‐HIV? men, METH + HIV+ MSM displayed 10% higher log10 cortisol levels per standard deviation lower ACTH. Both groups of methamphetamine‐using MSM had lower insulin resistance and greater syndemic burden (i.e., sleep disturbance, severe depression, childhood trauma, and polysubstance use disorder) compared to METH‐HIV? men. However, the disaggregated functional relationship between ACTH and cortisol in METH + HIV+ MSM was independent of these factors. Conclusions Further research is needed to characterize the bio‐behavioral pathways that explain dysregulated HPA axis functioning in HIV‐positive, methamphetamine‐using MSM. |
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| Keywords: | adrenocorticotropic hormone cortisol HIV insulin methamphetamine Syndemic |
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