Gut Microbial-Related Choline Metabolite Trimethylamine-N-Oxide Is Associated With Progression of Carotid Artery Atherosclerosis in HIV Infection.

Shan, Zhilei; Clish, Clary B; Hua, Simin; Scott, Justin M; Hanna, David B; Burk, Robert D; Haberlen, Sabina A; Shah, Sanjiv J et al. · J Infect Dis · 2018

retrospective_cohort · Level III

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Abstract

We examined associations of 5 plasma choline metabolites with carotid plaque among 520 HIV-infected and 217 HIV-uninfected participants (112 incident plaque cases) over 7 years. After multivariable adjustment, higher gut microbiota-related metabolite trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO) was associated with an increased risk of carotid plaque in HIV-infected participants (risk ratio = 1.25 per standard deviation increment; 95% confidence interval, 1.05-1.50; P = .01). TMAO was positively correlated with biomarkers of monocyte activation and inflammation (sCD14, sCD163). Further adjustment for these biomarkers attenuated the association between TMAO and carotid plaque (P = .08). Among HIV-infected individuals, plasma TMAO was associated with carotid atherosclerosis progression, partially through immune activation and inflammation.

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