Antimicrobial resistance genes and interactions with the microbiota in people with HIV

National Institute Of Environmental Health Sciences

Investigators

Abstract

The project is in its initial phase where the collaborators from the University of Pittsburgh are in the process of compiling the required stool and oral wash samples which will then be processed by the collaborators to extract DNA for performing shotgun metagenomics analysis. The resulting data will then be processed by our lab to address the following aims of the study: Aim 1 (Oral and gut ARGs): Determine associations between the abundance and dynamics of oral and gut antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) with duration of anti retroviral therapy (ART) exposure among people with HIV (PWH), and among people without HIV (PWOH) within each sex (at birth) group while accounting for geographic differences. • Hypothesis 1.1: Within each sex group, there is a change in the abundance, dynamics, and co-occurrence of oral and gut ARGs among PWH with duration of ART exposure after controlling for antibiotic exposure. The changes differ geographically. • Hypothesis 1.2: Within each sex group, the abundance, dynamics, and co-occurrence of oral and gut ARGs among PWOH will vary by geographic region as well as sex group. Aim 2 (Oral and gut microbiome): Determine associations between the composition, dynamics, and co-occurrence of oral and gut microbiome with duration of ART exposure among PWH (and among PWOH) within each sex group while accounting for geographic differences. • Hypothesis 2.1: Within each sex group, there is a change in the abundance, dynamics, and co-occurrence of oral and gut microbiota among PWH with duration of ART exposure. The changes differ geographically. • Hypothesis 2.2: Within each sex group, the abundance, dynamics, and co-occurrence of oral and gut microbiomes among PWOH will vary by geographic region as well as sex group.