A Potential Role for Host-Microbe Dysbiosis in Enteropathy Associated with HIV Infection, Immune Complex Diseases

A Potential Role for Host-Microbe Dysbiosis in Enteropathy Associated with HIV Infection

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection progressively depletes CD4+ T-lymphocytes from the immune system and, in the absence of treatment, leads to acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Gut associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) harbors a majority of the body’s lymphocytes and is an early and important mucosal target of HIV infection. The massive and rapid depletion of CD4+ T cells from GALT in primary HIV infection is presumed to be an underlying cause of a progressive deterioration of intestinal immune and digestive functions collectively termed “enteropathy”. The most common clinical manifestations of HIV-associated enteropathy, diarrhea and malnutrition, have a devastating impact on the day-today lives of millions of patients world-wide.