Comparison of gut virome in Kenyan infants born to women with and without HIV

The gut virome develops in infancy, seeded from numerous sources including the maternal virome. Altered infant virome development from exposure to maternal HIV infection could contribute to the higher observed morbidity among children who are HIV-exposed, uninfected (CHEU) versus HIV-unexposed (CHUU). To assess whether infant HIV exposure affects gut virome development, we sequenced the DNA virome in stool samples collected between birth-2 years from 37 CHUU and 32 CHEU whose mothers received optimized antiretroviral therapy (ART). Richness and Shannon diversity increased with age and introduction of foods other than breastmilk, and Bray-Curtis distances varied by age. Virome richness was lower among CHEU than CHUU, but Shannon diversity and Bray-Curtis distances did not differ by HIV exposure. These findings suggest that HIV exposure is not a major determinant of the infant virome when mothers receive optimized ART.