Greater Bone Deficits Seen in Young US Men Infected at Birth Versus in Adolescence

Compared with young HIV-negative US men, young men infected with HIV perinatally or during adolescence had lower peak bone mass and fewer circulating osteogenic precursors, which give rise to functional osteoblasts (bone-forming cells) [1]. And the perinatally infected group had greater bone deficits than the group infected during adolescence. These findings from a cross-sectional comparison of perinatally infected men, men infected during adolescence, and HIV-negative men point to the possibility of greater long-term bone loss and higher fracture rates in people with HIV.