Published in
Bentham Science Publishers, Current HIV Research: HIV and Viral Immune Diseases, 3(9), p. 148-153
DOI: 10.2174/157016211795945296
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HIV Persistence in the Gut Mucosa of HIV-Infected Subjects Undergoing Antiretroviral Therapy Correlates with Immune Activation and Increased Levels of LPS
,
Mirko Paiardini,
Lorenzo Zaffiri,
Mauro Andreotti,
Giancarlo Ceccarelli,
Cecilia Rizza,
Marileda Indinnimeo,
Stefano Vella,
M. Claudio Mastroianni ,
Claudio M. Mastroianni,
Guido Silvestri,
Vincenzo Vullo
Full text: Unavailable
Abstract
We investigated the relationship between viral persistence in the gut, microbial translocation, and T cell activation during chronic HIV infection. Plasma levels of LPS, fraction of circulating CD8+CD38+ T cells, and levels of HIV-DNA in rectosigmoid biopsies and peripheral blood mononuclear cells were determined in 22 HIV-infected individuals and 10 healthy controls. We found that in untreated HIV-infected individuals, HIV-DNA load was higher in the gut mucosa than in the blood. Also, ART-treated patients exhibited lower levels of LPS and CD8+CD38+ T cells than untreated patients, but higher levels than controls. In ART-treated individuals, the level of HIV-DNA in the gut correlated with levels of LPS and fraction of CD8+CD38+ T cells. We concluded that in ART-treated individuals, higher levels of gut-associated HIV-DNA are associated with persistent immune activation and microbial translocation.