Open AccessWhat is the collective effect of aging and HIV on the gut microbiome?
Author(s) -
Stephanie M. Dillon,
Cara C. Wilson
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
current opinion in hiv and aids
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1746-6318
pISSN - 1746-630X
DOI - 10.1097/coh.0000000000000611
Subject(s) - microbiome , dysbiosis , serostatus , biology , gut flora , gut microbiome , immunology , immunosenescence , population , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , medicine , immune system , bioinformatics , viral load , environmental health
Aging and HIV share features of intestinal damage and alterations in the communities of enteric bacteria, termed dysbiosis. The purpose of this review is to highlight the various features of the gut microbiome in aging and in people with HIV (PWH) and to discuss how aging and HIV converge to impact the gut microbiome. The term microbiome reflects the combined genetic material of micro-organisms present including bacteria, viruses, bacteriophages, and fungi. To date, the majority of studies investigating the impact of aging and HIV on the gut microbiome have focused on bacteria, and therefore, for the purposes of this review, the term 'microbiome' is used to reflect enteric bacterial communities.