A new study published by Brain, Behavior, & Immunity found that cannabis use was associated with reduced levels of several inflammation-related proteins among people living with HIV.
Researchers from Radboud University and Radboudumc in the Netherlands, the Helmholtz-Centre for Infection Research and Hannover Medical School in Germany, Erasmus University Rotterdam, OLVG Amsterdam, Tilburg’s Elisabeth-Tweesteden Ziekenhuis, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Romania and the University of Bonn conducted the study.
The cross-sectional study included 1,895 people living with HIV who were receiving antiretroviral therapy. Cannabis use was assessed through self-reporting and validated through plasma mass spectrometry, while systemic inflammation was evaluated by measuring 2,365 plasma proteins. Researchers also examined immune function by measuring cytokine production and profiling circulating immune cells.
According to the study, cannabis use was associated with 15 upregulated and 50 downregulated plasma proteins. The downregulated proteins were tied to pathways involving leukocyte-mediated cytotoxicity, NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity and other immune-related functions.
Researchers found that cannabis use was “mainly associated with reduced levels of systemic inflammation-related proteins,” but had little effect on the function or phenotypes of circulating immune cells. The study found no meaningful differences in monocyte- and lymphocyte-derived cytokine production between cannabis users and non-users, aside from increased MCP-1 production after stimulation with IL-1α. Cannabis use was also associated with increased numbers of CD27+CD21− B-cells.
The authors noted that tobacco use showed a much stronger pro-inflammatory profile than cannabis use. While cannabis was linked to reduced systemic inflammation-related proteins, tobacco use was associated with hundreds of altered proteins and broader immune changes.
“Future studies should further explore the clinical consequences of these anti-inflammatory effects,” the researchers concluded.
