Multiomics analyses of gut microbiota and metabolites in people living with HIV before and during SARS-COV-2 infectionOriginal paper
Karen Pendergrass is a microbiome researcher specializing in microbiome-targeted interventions (MBTIs). She systematically analyzes scientific literature to identify microbial patterns, develop hypotheses, and validate interventions. As the founder of the Microbiome Signatures Database, she bridges microbiome research with clinical practice. In 2012, based on her own investigative research, she became the first documented case of FMT for Celiac Disease, four years before the first published case study.
Read MoreWhat was studied?
This study examined how the gut microbiota and fecal metabolites of people living with HIV change during SARS-CoV-2 infection. Researchers compared paired samples from the same individuals at baseline and during infection. They integrated 16S rRNA gene sequencing with untargeted liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry metabolomics. Spearman correlation linked differentially abundant bacteria, fecal metabolites, and predicted human metabolic pathways. Plasma cytokines were also measured.
Who was studied?
The cohort was 36 adults living with HIV, all men and all men who have sex with men, receiving care at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, China. Median age was about 40 years. All had started antiretroviral therapy during chronic HIV infection. All were infected with the SARS-CoV-2 omicron variant and classified as having mild COVID-19. Participants on recent antibiotics or probiotics were excluded. Each person served as their own baseline control.
What were the most important findings?
Beta diversity shifted significantly during infection (ANOSIM p = 0.001), though alpha diversity did not. The Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio rose but not significantly. Lactobacillus and Lactiplantibacillus fell significantly. Of 437 metabolites, 199 were differentially abundant, with 56 up and 143 down. Seven human metabolic pathways were enriched, including phenylalanine, arginine and proline metabolism. Lactobacillus decline correlated with lower L-phenylalanine, creatine and phenylethylamine, and with higher spermidine. Plasma TNF-alpha and IL-13 fell while IL-4 rose.
What are the greatest implications of this study?
The findings suggest SARS-CoV-2 infection induces gut dysbiosis in people living with HIV, depleting beneficial lactobacilli linked to metabolic and immune regulation. This offers candidate microbes and metabolites for future study. The correlations point to microbiota-host metabolic crosstalk during co-infection, not proven causation. The authors call this a preliminary pilot with a small, all-male cohort and no long-term follow-up. Findings need validation before any therapeutic conclusions.