Immune activation is associated with increased gut microbial translocation in treatment-naive, HIV-infected children in a resource-limited setting.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Gut damage resulting in microbial translocation (MT) is considered a major cause of immune activation (IA) in HIV infection, but data in children are limited, particularly in the absence of antiretroviral therapy.

Methods

Sixty perinatally HIV-infected, antiretroviral therapy-naive children, aged 2-12 years, were evaluated for plasma levels of lipopolysaccharide, DNA sequences encoding bacterial 16 second ribosomal DNA (16S rDNA) and soluble CD14 concurrently with markers of CD4 and CD8 T-cell IA and immune exhaustion (IE), CD4 counts, and plasma viral load. At study entry, participants were classified into immune categories (ICs): IC1 (CD4% > 25), IC2 (CD4% 15-25), and IC3 (CD4% < 15). Age-matched HIV-uninfected children served as controls. Data were evaluated at

SUBMITTER: Pilakka-Kanthikeel S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4386670 | biostudies-literature | 2014 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature