Gut Inflammatory Marker May Predict Risks Among Patients With HIV

Regenerating islet-derived protein 3α (REG3α) may be used to evaluate therapeutic interventions and predict non-AIDS comorbidity risks among individuals with HIV, according to a new study. The determination comes after the researchers found that individuals with HIV have elevated plasma REG3α levels.

REG3α is an antimicrobial peptide secreted by intestinal Paneth cells. To assess whether this gut inflammatory marker could be used as a marker of gut damage among individuals with HIV, the researchers analyzed plasma from 169 adults with HIV—including 30 elite controllers—and 30 adults without HIV.

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The study authors compared the REG3α plasma levels with HIV disease progression, epithelial gut damage, microbial translocation, and immune activation markers.

Regardless of whether they were receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART), the individuals with HIV—including the elite controllers—had elevated levels of REG3α compared with the individuals without HIV. However, longitudinally, the REG3α levels increased among individuals with HIV not receiving ART and decreased among those who initiated ART.

Furthermore, while REG3α level was inversely associated with CD4 T-cell count and CD4:CD8 ratio, it was positively correlated with HIV viral load among untreated participants as well as with fungal product translocation and inflammatory markers among all individuals with HIV.

—Colleen Murphy

Reference:

Isnard S, Ramendra R, Dupuy FP, et al; Montreal Primary HIV Infection Study, the Canadian Cohort of HIV+ Slow Progressors, and the Canadian HIV and Aging Cohort groups. Plasma levels of C-type lectin REG3α and gut damage in people with human immunodeficiency virus. J Infect Dis. 2020;221(1):110-121. https://doi.org/10.1093/infdis/jiz423.