# A genome-wide association study of methamphetamine use among people with HIV

## TL;DR

This study investigated genetic factors linked to methamphetamine use in people with HIV but found no strong genetic contributors.

## Contribution

The study is the first multi-ancestry GWAS of methamphetamine use specifically in people with HIV.

## Key findings

- No single nucleotide polymorphism was associated with methamphetamine use at the genome-wide level.
- Previously suggested genetic variants were not replicated in this analysis.
- Larger studies and investigation into social/environmental factors are recommended.

## Abstract

Amphetamine-like stimulants are the most used psychostimulants in the world; methamphetamine use is the most prevalent in people with HIV. Prolonged methamphetamine use can cause lasting damage to the heart, gut, and brain, as well as auditory hallucinations and paranoid thinking. However, relatively little is known about methamphetamine use and its genetic contributors.

Using genetic information from the Centers for AIDS Research Network of Integrated Clinical Systems (CNICS) cohort, we conducted a multi-ancestry genome-wide association study (GWAS) of methamphetamine use among people with HIV (n = 1,196 reported ever use, n = 4,750 reported never use).

No single nucleotide polymorphism was statistically associated with methamphetamine use at the genome-wide level (p < 5 * 10–8) in our study. Further, we did not replicate previously suggested genetic variants from other studies (all p > 0.05 in our analysis).

Our study suggests that there is no single strong genetic contributor to lifetime use of methamphetamine in people with HIV enrolled in CNICS. Larger studies with more refined outcome assessment are warranted to further understand the contribution of genetics to methamphetamine use and use disorder. Investigation into social and environmental contributors to methamphetamine use are similarly necessary.