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Published on: May 21, 2018
Evidence of Intestinal Barrier Dysfunction in Asymptomatic HIV Infection via the NLRP3/Caspase-1/GSDMD Pyroptosis
Wenjie Li1,2, Li Jin1, Yong Qing3
1Department of Dermatology, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
Abstract:
Intestinal barrier dysfunction is an early pathological feature of HIV infection, but its mechanisms remain unclear. This study explored the NLRP3/Caspase-1/GSDMD pyroptosis pathway in 20 asymptomatic PLWH and 15 matched controls. Our study found that PLWH exhibited mucosal abnormalities, upregulated NLRP3/Caspase-1/GSDMD-NT, reduced Occludin and ZO-1, and elevated IL-1β, IL-18, and LPS; NLRP3 activation correlated negatively with Occludin/ZO-1 and positively with LPS, while CD4+ T-cell counts correlated negatively with inflammasome activation. Taken together, these findings indicate that intestinal barrier disruption in asymptomatic HIV infection is linked to NLRP3-mediated pyroptosis, which may drive early epithelial injury and microbial translocation, offering a potential therapeutic target.
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