A multi-modal study of microbiomes and metabolomes reveals a system-wide dysbiosis preceding HIV-1

Music City Center 

The microbiome plays an important role in immune responses and inflammation in people with HIV-1 infection. Hence, a deeper understanding of the microbiome, including its function and byproducts, prior to HIV-1 infection is potentially important for prevention and treatment strategies. Towards this end, using stool, oral washes, and plasma biospecimens obtained from men who have sex with men (MSM) who were HIV-1 uninfected at the time of sample collection, we found significant differences in microbial ecologies, gene functions, correlations among bacterial species, their biological processes, and metabolites between MSM who became HIV-1 infected in the future and those who remained HIV-1 uninfected. Significant differences included enrichment of enzymes involved in purine metabolism, lower amino acid metabolism, and higher oxidative stress. Furthermore, using a measure of dysbiosis based on correlations with various data modalities, we identified 59 gut species and 24 oral species as dysbiotic pre-HIV, with the majority being independent of sexual activity.

HIV infection

Gut microbiome

Oral microbiome

metabolomics 

Biometrics Section