Distinct composition of plasma virome in HIV-infected subjects on antiretroviral therapy compared to controls

Microbiome study during HIV infection is widely documented with major emphasis on bacteriome, while virome studies are few. The alteration of plasma virome is reported in HIV patients who are either treatment naive or have a weak immune system. Less is known about the plasma virome in HIV-infected patients on ART with preserved CD4 counts. In our pilot study, viral DNA isolated from plasma was sequenced on Illumina Nextseq500 platform. With the help of VIROMATCH pipeline, we observed that the plasma virome of HIV patients were significantly distinct from controls on the basis of Bray-Curtis dissimilarity index. The species, Human gammaherpesvirus 4 and families, Herpesviridae and Siphoviridae were found to be significantly enriched and differentially abundant in HIV patients. Hence, plasma virome is an important component for future study that might influence disease progression among HIV patients during therapy.