Characterization of the gut microbiota and systemic inflammation in HIV-exposed uninfected infants from a resource-limited setting at 6 weeks of age
Objective: Infants born to mothers infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) experience heightened morbidity and mortality, likely due to systemic immune dysregulation potentially linked to gut microbial dysbiosis. However, the degree of variation in biomarkers and systemic inflammation betwe...
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Verduci Editore
2024-11-01
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| Series: | Microbiota in Health and Disease |
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| Online Access: | https://www.microbiotajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2024/11/e1156.pdf |
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| author | P. Munjoma A. Mazhandu J. Wyss S. Ulrich Jordi L. Katsidzira B. Yilmaz B. Misselwitz K. Duri |
| author_facet | P. Munjoma A. Mazhandu J. Wyss S. Ulrich Jordi L. Katsidzira B. Yilmaz B. Misselwitz K. Duri |
| author_sort | P. Munjoma |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objective: Infants born to mothers infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) experience heightened morbidity and mortality, likely due to systemic immune dysregulation potentially linked to gut microbial dysbiosis. However, the degree of variation in biomarkers and systemic inflammation between HIV-exposed uninfected (HEU) infants and their HIV-unexposed uninfected (HUU) peers remains uncertain.
Materials and Methods: A total of 78 infants, including one set of twins, were enrolled in this study at approximately 6 weeks of age. We collected sociodemographic and clinical data, along with stool samples, to characterize the infant gut microbiota using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Additionally, whole blood samples were obtained from the infants, and plasma was isolated for MesoScale Discovery (MSD) V-Plex assays to quantify plasma inflammatory and endothelial dysfunction biomarkers.
Results: Among the 78 infants investigated, 35.9% were exposed to HIV in utero and during breastfeeding. At 6 weeks of age, 84.6% of the infants were exclusively breastfed, while 15.4% were mixed-fed with fluids and semi-solids. The gut microbiota comprised predominantly of Bifidobacterium (56.6%), Streptococcus (21.8%), Bacteroides (5.4%), Collinsella (2.8%) and Parabacteroides (2.7%). We did not observe significant differences in infant stool Shannon (p=0.760) and Simpson (p=0.510) indices by infant exposure to maternal HIV. The gut microbiota composition (Bray-Curtis dissimilarity) did not differ between HEU and HUU infants. Furthermore, plasma inflammatory and endothelial dysfunction biomarker levels did not significantly differ between HEU and HUU infants (p>0.05 after multiple test corrections). Notably, several significant positive correlations were observed between inflammatory and endothelial dysfunction biomarker levels (p<0.05). However, no significant associations were found between gut microbial taxa relative abundances and plasma inflammatory or endothelial dysfunction biomarker levels.
Conclusions: Exposure to maternal HIV did not result in any discernible alterations in diversity of the infant gut microbiota, nor in levels of systemic inflammation and endothelial dysfunction biomarkers at 6 weeks of age. Additionally, breastfeeding practice had no significant impact on diversity and composition of the infant gut microbiota. Furthermore, the lack of significant association between taxa relative abundances and systemic inflammation suggests that exposure to HIV and different feeding practices did not significantly influence these parameters in this population. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-846a3c3b99a2415cb70e8b3beb8046bc |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2704-8845 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-11-01 |
| publisher | Verduci Editore |
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| series | Microbiota in Health and Disease |
| spelling | doaj-art-846a3c3b99a2415cb70e8b3beb8046bc2025-01-03T10:30:12ZengVerduci EditoreMicrobiota in Health and Disease2704-88452024-11-01610.26355/mhd_202411_11561156Characterization of the gut microbiota and systemic inflammation in HIV-exposed uninfected infants from a resource-limited setting at 6 weeks of ageP. Munjoma0A. Mazhandu1J. Wyss2S. Ulrich Jordi3L. Katsidzira4B. Yilmaz5B. Misselwitz6K. Duri7Immunology Unit, Department of Laboratory Diagnostic and Investigative Sciences, University of Zimbabwe Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (UZ-FMHS), Harare, ZimbabweImmunology Unit, Department of Laboratory Diagnostic and Investigative Sciences, University of Zimbabwe Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (UZ-FMHS), Harare, ZimbabweDepartment of Visceral Surgery and Medicine, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, SwitzerlandDepartment of Visceral Surgery and Medicine, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, SwitzerlandDepartment of Internal Medicine, University of Zimbabwe Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (UZ-FMHS), Harare, ZimbabweDepartment of Visceral Surgery and Medicine, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, SwitzerlandDepartment of Visceral Surgery and Medicine, , Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, SwitzerlandImmunology Unit, Department of Laboratory Diagnostic and Investigative Sciences, University of Zimbabwe Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (UZ-FMHS), Harare, ZimbabweObjective: Infants born to mothers infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) experience heightened morbidity and mortality, likely due to systemic immune dysregulation potentially linked to gut microbial dysbiosis. However, the degree of variation in biomarkers and systemic inflammation between HIV-exposed uninfected (HEU) infants and their HIV-unexposed uninfected (HUU) peers remains uncertain. Materials and Methods: A total of 78 infants, including one set of twins, were enrolled in this study at approximately 6 weeks of age. We collected sociodemographic and clinical data, along with stool samples, to characterize the infant gut microbiota using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Additionally, whole blood samples were obtained from the infants, and plasma was isolated for MesoScale Discovery (MSD) V-Plex assays to quantify plasma inflammatory and endothelial dysfunction biomarkers. Results: Among the 78 infants investigated, 35.9% were exposed to HIV in utero and during breastfeeding. At 6 weeks of age, 84.6% of the infants were exclusively breastfed, while 15.4% were mixed-fed with fluids and semi-solids. The gut microbiota comprised predominantly of Bifidobacterium (56.6%), Streptococcus (21.8%), Bacteroides (5.4%), Collinsella (2.8%) and Parabacteroides (2.7%). We did not observe significant differences in infant stool Shannon (p=0.760) and Simpson (p=0.510) indices by infant exposure to maternal HIV. The gut microbiota composition (Bray-Curtis dissimilarity) did not differ between HEU and HUU infants. Furthermore, plasma inflammatory and endothelial dysfunction biomarker levels did not significantly differ between HEU and HUU infants (p>0.05 after multiple test corrections). Notably, several significant positive correlations were observed between inflammatory and endothelial dysfunction biomarker levels (p<0.05). However, no significant associations were found between gut microbial taxa relative abundances and plasma inflammatory or endothelial dysfunction biomarker levels. Conclusions: Exposure to maternal HIV did not result in any discernible alterations in diversity of the infant gut microbiota, nor in levels of systemic inflammation and endothelial dysfunction biomarkers at 6 weeks of age. Additionally, breastfeeding practice had no significant impact on diversity and composition of the infant gut microbiota. Furthermore, the lack of significant association between taxa relative abundances and systemic inflammation suggests that exposure to HIV and different feeding practices did not significantly influence these parameters in this population.https://www.microbiotajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2024/11/e1156.pdfearly life hiv exposureinfant gut microbiotasystemic inflammationresource-limited setting. |
| spellingShingle | P. Munjoma A. Mazhandu J. Wyss S. Ulrich Jordi L. Katsidzira B. Yilmaz B. Misselwitz K. Duri Characterization of the gut microbiota and systemic inflammation in HIV-exposed uninfected infants from a resource-limited setting at 6 weeks of age Microbiota in Health and Disease early life hiv exposure infant gut microbiota systemic inflammation resource-limited setting. |
| title | Characterization of the gut microbiota and systemic inflammation in HIV-exposed uninfected infants from a resource-limited setting at 6 weeks of age |
| title_full | Characterization of the gut microbiota and systemic inflammation in HIV-exposed uninfected infants from a resource-limited setting at 6 weeks of age |
| title_fullStr | Characterization of the gut microbiota and systemic inflammation in HIV-exposed uninfected infants from a resource-limited setting at 6 weeks of age |
| title_full_unstemmed | Characterization of the gut microbiota and systemic inflammation in HIV-exposed uninfected infants from a resource-limited setting at 6 weeks of age |
| title_short | Characterization of the gut microbiota and systemic inflammation in HIV-exposed uninfected infants from a resource-limited setting at 6 weeks of age |
| title_sort | characterization of the gut microbiota and systemic inflammation in hiv exposed uninfected infants from a resource limited setting at 6 weeks of age |
| topic | early life hiv exposure infant gut microbiota systemic inflammation resource-limited setting. |
| url | https://www.microbiotajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2024/11/e1156.pdf |
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