Zonulin-1 as a potential biomarker for detection of immunological nonresponders among HIV infected patients

Identifier:  TFG:5142

Handle: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11797/TFG5142

Authors:  Ruiz Isant, Oriol

Abstract:
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection is still a major global health issue. Immunological nonresponders (INRs), which take up about 30% of HIV patients, do not fully recover CD4+ T-cell levels to optimal values upon administration of antiretroviral therapy. Since the gastrointestinal tract is largely affected due to HIV infection, potential biomarkers of gut damage have been studied. Zonulin, the only known modulator of tight junctions, was used in this project to discriminate between INRs, immunological responders and controls in subjects starting first antiretroviral therapy. Zonulin levels of INRs turned out to be significantly lower than controls (p < 0.01), indicating an important dysregulation of intestinal mucosal barrier function in INRs, and also leaving zonulin as a potential biomarker in the detection of INRs.