Gut microbiota and plasma metabolites associated with diabetes in women with, or at high risk for, HIV infection

Background Gut microbiota alteration has been implicated in HIV infection and metabolic disorders. The relationship between gut microbiota and diabetes has rarely been studied in HIV-infected individuals, who have excess risk of metabolic disorders. Methods Our study during 2015–2016 enrolled predominantly African Americans and Hispanics in the Women's Interagency HIV Study. We studied 28 women with long-standing HIV infection under antiretroviral therapy and 20 HIV-uninfected, but at high risk of infection, women (16 HIV+ and 6 HIV- with diabetes). Fecal samples were analyzed by sequencing prokaryotic16S rRNA gene. Plasma metabolomics profiling was performed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Findings No significant differences in bacterial α- or β-diversity were observed by diabetes or HIV serostatus (all P > .1). Relative abundances of four genera (Finegoldia, Anaerococcus, Sneathia, and Adlercreutzia) were lower in women with diabetes compared to those without diabetes (all P 0.05). Anaerococcus, known to produce butyrate which is involved in anti-inflammation and glucose metabolism, showed an inverse correlation with kynurenine/tryptophan ratio (r = −0.38, P