A Study on the Correlation between Intestinal Microorganisms and T Lymphocytes and Cytokines in AIDS Patients

Abstract

Background: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection leads to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), posing a significant public health concern and affecting the quality of life. Furthermore, this infection can disrupt the intestinal mucosal barrier and increase the number of harmful bacteria, resulting in an intestinal inflammatory response and immune dysfunction. This study aimed to investigate the changes in inflammatory factors and gut microbiota in HIV-positive individuals and to explore the correlation between the gut microbiota and inflammatory factors, or T lymphocytes. Methods: Blood samples of 34 patients with HIV/AIDS were collected. Enzyme-linked linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect cytokine levels, and flow cytometry was used to detect the number of clusters of differentiation 4 (CD4) and CD8 T lymphocytes. The Spearman method was used to explore the correlation between the intestinal microbiota of HIV-infected individuals and T lymphocytes or cytokines. Results: At the family level, the number of Enterobacteriaceae bacteria was negatively correlated with CD4 T cell count (p = 0.04), while Micrococcaceae were positively correlated with CD4 T cell number (p = 0.04). Furthermore, Bifidobacteriaceae and Caulobacteraceae were positively correlated with CD8 T cells (p = 0.00 and 0.01), whereas Bacillaceae was negatively correlated with CD4/CD8 (p = 0.04). Additionally, Veillonellaceae showed a significant positive correlation with interleukin-6 (IL-6) (p = 0.04), while Carnobacteriaceae exhibited a significant negative correlation with IL-6 (p = 0.01). Micrococcaceae showed a significant positive correlation with IL-17 (p = 0.04), whereas Veillonellaceae displayed a significant positive correlation with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (p = 0.01). Conversely, Carnobacteriaceae showed a significant negative correlation with LPS (p = 0.01), and Bacillaceae showed a significant negative correlation with IL-10 (p = 0.04). Conclusion: These findings revealed a strong correlation between the intestinal microbiota of HIV-infected individuals and their immune status and might affect their inflammatory response, indicating that targeting intestinal microbiota might be a promising approach in treating HIV patients.