Healthy microflora helps antiretroviral therapy

Good bacteria help treat HIV

MedikForum.ru (based on the materials of R&I WORLD: Gut bacteria affect immune recovery in HIV patients, study finds – VM).

The success of HIV treatment directly depends on the number of good bacteria, according to a study by scientists from the University of Valencia. HIV-infected patients with healthy intestines responded significantly better to antiretroviral therapy.

Spanish scientists have found that intestinal bacteria significantly affect the response of HIV-infected patients to medications. This is another significant study that has shown that our intestines have a significantly greater impact on overall health than has always been assumed.  The less inflamed the intestines of HIV patients turned out to be, the better they responded to antiretroviral therapy.

The results of the study suggest that exposure to intestinal bacteria will enhance the effectiveness of ART and prevent the development of side effects and complications that are often observed during this therapy. It should be noted that HIV-infected patients often suffer from chronic intestinal inflammation, which is partly explained by toxins secreted by cells during their battle with HIV.

During the study, the researchers analyzed intestinal bacteria in the fecal masses of healthy volunteers and HIV patients undergoing different types of ART. Observations have shown a direct correlation between bacterial activity and immune response as a consequence of HIV and antiretroviral therapy. The authors of the study emphasize the possibility that some patients respond better to ART due to the predisposition of their immune system to the effects of these healthy, recovery-accelerating intestinal bacteria.

It has been proven that bacteria in the intestine play an important role in the successful immune response of HIV-infected patients. Therefore, antiretroviral therapy will be more successful if it is combined with methods of targeted exposure to the population of intestinal bacteria.

Article by Serrano-Villar et al. Gut Bacteria Metabolism Impacts Immune Recovery in HIV-infected Individuals is published in the open access journal EBioMedicine – VM.

Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru  07.09.2016