Issue 14 june 2019 Special Report Microbiota and HIV/AIDS

The gut microbiota’s impact on the onset of metabolic complications like obesity and diabetes, and neuropsychiatric disorders like autism has been widely described. However, fewer studies have been conducted on the involvement of the different microbiota in the susceptibility to and development of infectious diseases, although they represent an important field of research. Recent publications have, however, highlighted the gut microbiota’s role on the susceptibility to and severity of lung infections with Mycobacterium TuberculosisE. Moreover, several authors are investigating modulation of vaccine response by the gut microbiota, particularly with respect to oral vaccines. Antibiotics are also likely to have a significant impact on the dialogue between pathogens and commensal flora. The interactions between HIV infection and the gut microbiota represent a very specific field, and the impact of digestive immunity on the disease's development at the chronic phase has been known for many years. Given its impact on the virus’ transmission, analysis of the gut microbiota was naturally followed by analysis of the vaginal microbiota, And the studies have produced some compelling results. Here, as in other pathological situations, the question of how this microbiota could be modulated to impact the disease's development/acquisition is now being investigated, specifically by analysing the eating habits of a population of patients in which the obesity rate is steadily rising, as it is in the general population.