HIV/AIDS Research Reveals Distinct Pulmonary Microbiome Differences Between HIV-Positive and HIV-Negative Patients

Strategic Insights -

Research conducted at Fudan University in Shanghai, China, has shed light on the differences in pulmonary microbiota between HIV-positive and HIV-negative patients with pneumocystis jirovecii infection. The study, published in PLOS ONE, aimed to investigate the alterations in the pulmonary microbiota of HIV-positive and non-HIV patients following pneumocystis jirovecii infection. The findings suggest that HIV-positive patients exhibit a more diverse microbiota, predominantly characterized by viral co-infections, while non-HIV patients predominantly exhibit bacterial co-infections.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study recruited 77 patients with pulmonary infection that had next-generation sequencing performed on their bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and confirmed pneumocystis jirovecii infection.
  • Of the 77 patients, 52 were infected with HIV, and 25 were uninfected.
  • HIV-positive patients exhibited a more diverse microbiota, predominantly characterized by viral co-infections, with 88.5% experiencing viral co-infections, primarily involving herpes viruses.
  • Non-HIV patients predominantly exhibited bacterial co-infections (72%), followed by viral (52%) and fungal (36%) co-infections.
  • The study identified statistically significant differences in viral infections between HIV-positive and HIV-negative patients, with Leptospiral virus, Rosette fungus, and Actinomycetes detected at higher frequencies in HIV-infected pneumocystis jirovecii patients.

Statistics:

  • 52 out of 77 patients with pneumocystis jirovecii infection were infected with HIV.
  • 25 out of 77 patients with pneumocystis jirovecii infection were HIV-negative.
  • 88.5% of HIV-positive patients experienced viral co-infections, primarily involving herpes viruses.
  • 72% of non-HIV patients exhibited bacterial co-infections, followed by viral (52%) and fungal (36%) co-infections.

Sources:

  • PLOS ONE. "Differential composition of the pulmonary microbiome in HIV-positive versus HIV-negative patients with Pneumocystis jirovecii." PLOS ONE, 2025;20(10).
  • NewsRx. Reports from Fudan University Advance Knowledge in HIV/AIDS (Differential composition of the pulmonary microbiome in HIV-positive versus HIV-negative patients with Pneumocystis jirovecii). AIDS Weekly. October 20, 2025; p 153.