The interplay between host genetic variation, viral replication, and microbial translocation in untreated HIV-infected individuals. Journal of Infectious Diseases
Perkins et al. searched in a genome-wide association study for human genetic variations associated with determinants of chronic immune activation such as markers of gut damage (e.g., fatty acid-binding protein; FABP) and microbial translocation (e.g., soluble CD14; sCD14) in untreated HIV-infected individuals. They did not identify any significant genetic association with the tested plasma markers and found that the human genetic variants known to be associated with control of HIV viremia are not associated with sCD14 or FABP levels. On the other hand, they observed strong associations between sCD14 and both HIV viral load and FABP.
This finding reinforces the role of microbial translocation in the pathogenesis of untreated HIV infection.