Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40098016›Full record

ArticleInfectious diseases of poverty2025

Gut microbiota metabolites impact immunologic responses to antiretroviral therapy in HIV-infected men who have sex with men.

Anping Feng, Heping Zhao, Chunting Qiu, Dan Luo, Hao Wu, Xiaojun Meng, Linghua Li, Huachun Zou

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Infectious diseases of poverty, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
  3. Metabolomics of HIV in the Modern cART Era.Advances in experimental medicine and biology · 2026
    Review
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Anping Feng *School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, China.
Heping Zhao *School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, China.
Chunting Qiu *Department of Infectious Diseases, Tianjin Second People's Hospital, Tianjin, 300192, China.
Dan LuoSchool of Public Health (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, China.
Hao WuGuangzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou, China.
Xiaojun MengThe Affiliated Wuxi Center for Disease Control and Prevention of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, 214023, Jiangsu, China. mengxiaojunwx@163.com.
Linghua LiInfectious Disease Center, Guangzhou Eighth People's Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, No 8 Huaying Road, Guangzhou, 510060, Guangdong, China. llheliza@126.com.
Huachun ZouSchool of Public Health, Fudan University, Room 435, Bld #8, 130 Dongan Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai, 200032, China. zouhuachun@fudan.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8161-7576

Funding

Fujian Province's Third Batch of Flexible Introduction of High-Level Medical Talent Teams TD202307High Level Project of Medicine in Longhua, Shenzhen HLPM201907020105National Key Research and Development Program of China 2023YFC2306700Natural Science Foundation of China Excellent Young Scientists Fund 82022064Natural Science Foundation of China International/Regional Research Collaboration Project 72061137001the grant from Wuxi Health Commission BJ2023097
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe association between gut microbial metabolites and immunologic non-response among people living with HIV (PLHIV) receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) has not been well established. We aimed to characterize gut microbial metabolites among HIV-infected men who have sex with men (MSM) with different immunologic responses.

methodsWe recruited HIV-infected MSM from Guangzhou Eighth People's Hospital and HIV-uninfected MSM (healthy controls, HC) from a local MSM community-based organization in Guangzhou between June and October 2021. HIV-infected MSM were grouped into good immunological responders (GIR) (CD4 + T cell count ≥ 350 cells/μl) and poor immunological responders (PIR) (CD4 + T cell count < 350 cells/μl) after 24 months of ART treatment. Online questionnaires and stool samples were collected. Microbial metabolites in stool were obtained through ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled to a tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) system. Differential metabolites were identified and analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis test, followed by pairwise comparisons with the Wilcoxon rank-sum test. The least absolute selection and shrinkage operator was used to select potential metabolites biomarkers.

resultsA total of 51 HC, 56 GIR, and 42 PIR were included. No statistically significant differences were observed in the median time since HIV diagnosis and ART duration between GIR and PIR. Among the 174 quantified metabolites, 81 significantly differed among HC, GIR, and PIR (P < 0.05). Among differential metabolites, indole-3-propionic acid significantly decreased from HC (11.39 nmol/g) and GIR (8.16 nmol/g) to PIR (6.50 nmol/g). The pathway analysis showed that tryptophan metabolism differed significantly between GIR and PIR (P < 0.05). Four potential metabolites biomarkers (dimethylglycine, cinnamic acid, 3-hydroxyisovaleric acid, and propionic acid) that distinguish GIR and PIR were identified, and the corresponding area under the curve based on potential biomarkers was 0.773 (95% CI: 0.675-0.871).

conclusionsThis study identified significant differences in gut microbial metabolites among HIV-infected MSM with different immunologic responses. These results indicate the potential of gut microbial metabolites as novel disease progression markers and therapeutic targets.

Indexed as

Anti-HIV AgentsAnti-Retroviral AgentsGastrointestinal MicrobiomeHIV InfectionsHomosexuality, MaleAdultBiomarkersCD4 Lymphocyte CountFecesHumansMaleMiddle AgedAnti-HIV AgentsAnti-Retroviral AgentsBiomarkersChinaImmunologic responseMen who have sex with menMetabolitesPeople living with HIV

Identifiers

PMID40098016
PMCPMC11917012

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.