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Maternal HIV infection was linked to altered gut microbes and metabolites

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Research area:biology-geneticsmicrobiome

What the study found

The study found gut dysbiosis, meaning an imbalance in gut microbes, and distinct plasma metabolomic profiles in women with HIV and their infants compared with seronegative women. It also identified specific microbes and metabolites that differed by HIV status.

Why the authors say this matters

The authors conclude that these results suggest potential biological pathways through which HIV affects maternal and infant health. They also note that some of the differentially abundant taxa and metabolites were linked to adverse outcomes such as preterm birth, low birth weight, and inflammation.

What the researchers tested

The PRACHITi cohort study followed 244 pregnant women with and without HIV in Pune, India, along with their children through 1 year postpartum. The researchers analyzed longitudinal gut microbiota samples using 16S rRNA sequencing and examined plasma metabolomic profiles during pregnancy, postpartum, and infancy, with more frequent sampling in a sub-study.

What worked and what didn't

The study found differences in gut microbiota composition and plasma metabolites by HIV status across pregnancy, postpartum, and infancy. Specific taxa and metabolites were differentially abundant, and some were linked to adverse outcomes mentioned in the abstract.

What to keep in mind

The abstract describes secondary objectives from the PRACHITi study and does not provide detailed limitations in the available summary. The findings are based on one cohort in India and on associations reported in the abstract.

Key points

  • Women with HIV and their infants showed gut dysbiosis compared with seronegative women.
  • Plasma metabolomic profiles differed by HIV status across pregnancy, postpartum, and infancy.
  • Some taxa and metabolites were associated with preterm birth, low birth weight, and inflammation.
  • The cohort included 244 pregnant women followed with their children through 1 year postpartum.
  • Gut microbiota were assessed with 16S rRNA sequencing.

Disclosure

Research title:
Maternal HIV infection was linked to altered gut microbes and metabolites
Authors:
Jenna Mandell, Tian Wang, Jyoti S V Mathad, Mehr Shafiq, Shilpa Naik, Mallika Alexander, Vandana Kulkarni, Prasad Deshpande, Michael S. Humphrys, Bing Ma, Johanna B. Holm, Ramesh Bhosale, Khalil G. Ghanem, Aarti Kinikar, Jacques Ravel, Amita Gupta, Shuang Wang, Rupak Shivakoti
Institutions:
Columbia University, Columbia University, Columbia University, Columbia University, Columbia University, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Cornell University, Government Medical College, Government Medical College, Government Medical College, Government Medical College, Government Medical College, Government Medical College, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Johns Hopkins University, Johns Hopkins University, Johns Hopkins University, Johns Hopkins University, University of Maryland, Baltimore, University of Maryland, Baltimore, University of Maryland, Baltimore, University of Maryland, Baltimore
Publication date:
2026-02-23
DOI:
10.1038/s41467-026-69912-0
OpenAlex record:
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AI provenance: This post was generated by gpt-5.4-mini (OpenAI). The original authors did not write or review this post.

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