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AI Summary of Peer-Reviewed Research

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Maternal HIV linked to altered gut microbes and metabolites

A researcher wearing a white lab coat, protective gloves, and face mask works at a laboratory refrigeration unit containing stacked microplate sample trays while another person in protective clothing observes from outside an enclosed work area.
Research area:Immunology and MicrobiologyHIV/AIDS Research and InterventionsGut microbiota and health

What the study found

Maternal HIV infection was associated with changes in the gut microbiome, meaning the community of gut microbes, and in plasma metabolomic profiles in mothers and infants across pregnancy, postpartum, and infancy. The study also found that some taxa and metabolites differed by HIV status and were linked to adverse outcomes.

Why the authors say this matters

The authors suggest these findings point to possible biological pathways through which HIV affects maternal and infant health. They also indicate that the gut microbiota may be a potentially modifiable factor during pregnancy and early life.

What the researchers tested

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

What worked and what didn't

The study found gut dysbiosis and distinct plasma metabolomic profiles among women with HIV compared with seronegative women. Specific taxa and metabolites were differentially abundant by HIV status, and some were linked to preterm birth, low birth weight, and inflammation.

What to keep in mind

The abstract describes secondary objectives related to gut microbiota within the PRACHITi cohort and does not provide detailed limitations in the available summary. The findings are associative in the abstract and do not establish cause and effect.

Key points

  • Maternal HIV infection was associated with gut dysbiosis in mothers and infants.
  • Plasma metabolomic profiles differed by HIV status across pregnancy, postpartum, and infancy.
  • Some taxa and metabolites were differentially abundant and were linked to preterm birth, low birth weight, and inflammation.
  • The study followed 244 pregnant women with and without HIV and their children through 1 year postpartum.
  • The abstract does not describe detailed study limitations.

Disclosure

Research title:
Maternal HIV 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, Cornell University, Government Medical College, Johns Hopkins University, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center
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 OpenAI. The original authors did not write or review this post.

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