Focused on determining microbiome diversity of children who are HIV exposed and uninfected, and those who are HIV exposed and infected. It was a longitudinal study of the impact of maternal microbiota on changes in infants gastrointestinal microbiota during the first 24 months of life among 150 HIV- unexposed uninfected children (HIV-EU) and 150 HIV-unexposed children.
MARGIN study focused on determining microbiome diversity of children who are HIV exposed and uninfected, and those who are HIV exposed and infected. It was a longitudinal study of the impact of maternal microbiota on changes in infants gastrointestinal microbiota during the first 24 months of life among 150 HIV- unexposed uninfected children (HIV-EU) and 150 HIV-unexposed children. It is estimated that 15% of all infants born in sub-Saharan Africa are HIV-EU.
Findings from the MARGIN Study include;
- In contrast to the mostly consistent microbial communities identified in the mothers, the microbiomes of HIV-exposed, uninfected and HIV-unexposed, uninfected infants showed striking differences based on the mother’s status
- At 6 months post-partum: α-diversity (Shannon index) in the meconium/stool of HEU infants is significantly higher, when compared to HUU infants. Trend towards higher diversity in HEU infants is maintained when adjusted for cotrimoxazole prophylaxis and breastfeeding.
- The bacterial community composition of the infants’ meconium and stool changed over time, and correlated to the mother’s HIV status. HUU infants had more abundant populations of Bifidobacteriaceae and Enterococcaceae, whereas HEU infants had more Ruminococcaceae, Pseudomonadaceae, and Enterobacteriaceae in their stools.