No relationship between gastric pH, small bowel bacterial colonisation, and diarrhoea in HIV-1 infected patients.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND/AIMS: Conclusive studies of small bowel bacterial overgrowth in patients with HIV-1 infection are limited. The relation was therefore determined between the quantity and species of bacteria in the proximal small intestine of HIV-1 infected patients and the presence of diarrhoea, gastric acidity, severity of immune deficiency, and clinical outcome. METHODS: Bacteria in the duodenal fluids obtained endoscopically from 32 HIV-1 infected patients, 21 of whom had diarrhoea, and seven control subjects without HIV-1 risk factors were quantified and speciated. Gastric pH was determined at the time of endoscopy. Clinical follow up was performed to assess outcome. RESULTS: Oropharyngeal Gram positive cocci were present in fluids from 28 patients (88%). Gram negative aerobic or facultatively anaerobic bacteria were present in fluids from 12 patients (38%), and strict anaerobes were detected in six patients (19%), but for both groups colony counts infrequently exceeded 10(4) colony forming units/ml. The number and species of bacteria did not correlate with the presence of diarrhoea, gastric pH, or CD4 lymphocyte count. CONCLUSIONS: Small bowel bacterial overgrowth is not common in HIV-1 infected patients, regardless of the presence of diarrhoea, and is not associated with hypochlorhydria

SUBMITTER: Wilcox CM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1760066 | biostudies-other | 1999 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other