Associations between the gut microbiome, inflammation and cardiovascular profiles in people with HIVOriginal paper
Karen Pendergrass is a microbiome researcher specializing in microbiome-targeted interventions (MBTIs). She systematically analyzes scientific literature to identify microbial patterns, develop hypotheses, and validate interventions. As the founder of the Microbiome Signatures Database, she bridges microbiome research with clinical practice. In 2012, based on her own investigative research, she became the first documented case of FMT for Celiac Disease, four years before the first published case study.
Read MoreWhat was studied?
The UPBEAT-CAD sub-study examined links between the gut microbiome, systemic inflammation, and subclinical cardiovascular disease in people with and without HIV. Participants were matched on HIV status and traditional cardiovascular risk factors.
How was it studied?
Eighty-one participants underwent coronary computed tomography angiography to assess plaque burden, plus quantitative immunoassays for 34 inflammatory biomarkers. Stool samples were analyzed by 16S rRNA sequencing, with differentially abundant taxa identified via ANCOM-BC and correlated to biomarkers, diet, and imaging findings.
What did they find?
People with HIV (n=44, 54% of participants) showed distinct gut microbiome beta-diversity and 42 differentially abundant species. Enrichment of Bifidobacterium pseudocatenulatum, Megamonas hypermegale, and Selenomonas ruminantium correlated with lower plaque burden, while depletion of Ruminococcus bromii tracked with higher plaque burden and fat intake. Depleted Bacteroides and Alistipes species correlated with elevated D-dimer, CD40 ligand, C-reactive protein, and interferon gamma.
Why it matters
These findings suggest specific gut bacterial shifts may connect chronic inflammation to cardiovascular risk in people with HIV, pointing to the microbiome as a potential target for risk assessment or intervention.