Structural network alterations induced by ART-naive and ART-treated subjects infected with HIV.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate how the structural connectivity altered in combined antiretroviral therapy-treated (cART+) HIV patients and cART-naive (cART-) HIV patients by conducting Network analysis of Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) data.

METHODS

We enrolled 22 cART-, 23 cART+ and 28 normal controls (NC) in our current study. Firstly, the DTI imaging data pre-processing was conducted and the asymmetric 90 × 90 matrix for each participant from their DTI data was obtained with the use of PANDA. Then, we applied a graph-theoretical network analysis toolkit, GRETNA v2.0, to calculate metrics such as small-"worldness," characteristic path length, clustering coefficient, global efficiency, local efficiency, and nodal "betweenness". Finally, we took comparisons among the three groups to investigate topological alterations.

RESULTS

Results (1) the regional characteristics (nodal efficiency) were altered in cART- and cART+ patients predominantly in the frontal cortical regions; (2) changes in various network properties in cART+treat and cART-patients were associated with the performance of behavior functions; (3) Hubs redistributed in HIV subjects especially in cART+ patients.

CONCLUSION

The regional characteristics (nodal efficiency) were altered in cART- and cART+ patients predominantly in the frontal cortical region, and changes in various network properties in cART- and cART+ patients were associated with the performance of behavior functions. In addition, Hubs redistributed in HIV subjects especially in cART+ patients.