| description |
Gut microbiota modifications occurring during HIV infection have recently been associated with inflammation and microbial translocation. Methods. Next-generation sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene was applied to the faecal microbiota of 31 HIV-infected patients, of whom 18 were treated with ART, compared to 27 healthy controls. Twenty-one sera samples from HIV infected patients and seven sera samples from control subjects were used to test the presence of 25 markers of inflammation and/or immune activation.controls and was not restored in the ART group. The relative abundance of several members of Ruminococcaceae such as Faecalibacterium prauznitzii was critically less abundant in HIV-infected group and inversely correlated with inflammation/immune activation markers. Members of Enterobacteriaceae and Enterococcaceae were found to be enriched and positively correlated with these markers. Species enriched in HIV- group were mostly aerobic (32/40 species) although those in the control group were anaerobic (50/58 species). Conclusions. Deep imbalance between aerobic and anaerobic flora observed in HIV faecal microbiota could be a consequence of the gut impairment classically observed in HIV-infection via the production of oxygen and may thus raise the question of antioxidant supplementation, such as vitamin C. |