Older postmenopausal women with lower lean mass have hypermethylated sites in the PI3K-Akt pathway

Introduction: The decrease in lean mass is directly related to the loss of independence, muscle strength, and worse quality of life over the years. Although the genetic determinants of muscle mass were well recognized, recent literature has been uncovering new epigenetic factors affecting the state of muscular tissue. This study aimed to verify differences in the DNA methylation profile among Brazilian postmenopausal women aged 50–70 years according to the lean mass evaluation.Methods: A cross-sectional study comprised 40 women aged 50–70 years. After K-means cluster analysis the 40 participants were divided into two groups, the Lower Lean Mass group with 20 participants (61.1 ± 4.6 years) and the Higher Lean Mass group with 20 participants (60.7 ± 3.2 years). Lean mass was measured by dual-energy X-ray emission densitometry (DEXA). The participants' DNA was extracted using the Salting Out technique and subsequently, the Illumina 850k EPIC Infinium Methylation BeadChip was performed to obtain methylation data.Results: We obtained 1,913 differentially methylated sites (p ≤ 0.005 of β > 5% and β < −5%) in a total of 979 genes between groups (p ≤ 0.005; −5% > β > 5%). In addition, the PI3K-Akt pathway had the greatest power of significance with an FDR of 4.6 × 10–3.Conclusion: Our results demonstrate a differentiation between specific sites of different genes, which have essential functions in body composition and energy metabolism, supporting future studies that aim to relate lean mass with epigenetics

Mapping senescence biomarkers in people living with HIV: a comprehensive scoping review

The global Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) epidemic continues to have a negative impact on health, with over 40.1 million deaths related to HIV/AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) and approximately 38.4 million people living with HIV (PLHIV) currently. The increase in access to Antiretroviral Drugs (ARVs), which grew from 2.98 million people in 2010 to 20.9 million in 2021, contributed to a 52% reduction in HIV-related mortality rates 1,2 . However, the understanding of the pathophysiology of HIV infection has advanced rapidly, revealing that its effects are not limited to the immune system, also affecting qualitative and functional aspects with various potential impacts on individuals' health 3 . The infection triggers changes at the cellular and molecular levels, which, combined with genetic and environmental factors, explain clinical differences between infected and uninfected individuals 4 . This chronic state often involves complications related to cellular aging (senescence) following the initial HIV infection. This highlights the crucial need for a multidisciplinary approach to address the ongoing health challenges faced by individuals affected by the lasting effects of HIV infection. Therefore, as an objective, this study will conduct the mapping of altered senescence biomarkers in people living with HIV. This will serve as an essential tool to understand and monitor the implications of cellular aging in this population, providing valuable insights for the development of more effective therapeutic strategies and improving healthcare management for people living with HIV

Effects of High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) in People Living with HIV: A Scoping Review

Scoping Review to investigation the High Intensity Interval Training on People Living with HIV. People living with HIV (PLHIV) face health challenges beyond infection, including low cardiorespiratory fitness, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, and accelerated aging. Physical exercise, especially high-intensity interval training (HIIT), may be crucial in treatment, but there is little evidence about its effects in this population. This is a Scoping Review based on the PRISMA-ScR steps, including identification of the research question, relevant studies, selection, data mapping, analysis and consultation with researchers. With the PICO strategy, the question is: “What are the effects of HIIT on people living with HIV?” Intervention studies that evaluate the effects of HIIT on PLHIV will be included, excluding observational studies, reviews, editorials, books, chapters, expert opinions, dissertations, theses and conference abstracts. The search will be carried out in databases such as PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, Lilacs, Web of Science and SPORTDiscus, in addition to gray literature on medRxiv. The search strategy will use controlled descriptors and keywords without language or publication period restrictions. Studies will be exported to EndNote to remove duplicates and evaluated in Rayyan by two independent, blinded reviewers. Discrepancies will be resolved by a third reviewer. Data from the selected studies will be analyzed and collected by two independent reviewers, filling out a characterization table containing information about study characteristics, population and results. A qualitative synthesis will describe the effects of HIIT on PLHIV, providing a narrative view of the data

Effects of physical activity on sarcopenia in people living with HIV: a systematic review and meta-analysis

The present study aims to review the literature on the effectiveness of physical activity for the sarcopenia outcomes of people living with HIV