Probiotics to manage inflammation in HIV infection

Purpose of review To evaluate the current scientific basis for administering probiotics to people living with HIV (PLHIV) to alleviate chronic inflammation and subsequently improve their prognosis. Recent findings The gut microbiome is a potential contributing factor to low-grade inflammation in HIV infection, and there is a scientific rationale for attempting to attenuate inflammation by administering probiotics. Sixteen reports from clinical studies in antiretroviral therapy (ART)-treated PLHIV assessing inflammation after probiotic intervention have been identified; half of them randomized control trials (RCT). Some of the studies report improvement in some parameters of inflammation, but results are inconsistent. No studies report improvement of CD4 counts. None of the RCTs report improvements in any markers of inflammation when analyzed according to protocol. Current scientific evidence does not support the use of probiotics to alleviate inflammation in HIV infection. The potential effect of probiotic intervention in ART-treated PLHIV with high risk for inflammation remains to be investigated.