Gut and skin microbial dysbiosis correlate with systemic inflammation and pruritus in immunological non-responders

Introduction: Among people living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLWH), those who exhibit immunological non-responders (INR) are highly susceptible to developing pruritus. The aim of this study was to examine the relationships among pruritus, alteration of the gut and skin microbiomes, and systemic inflammation in PLWH with INR. Methods: = 15) groups. All participants met the defining criterion of a low CD4+ T cell count ( ≤ 350 cells/μl). We performed 16S rRNA gene sequencing of fecal and skin samples, and measured plasma IL-1β and IL-10 levels. Results: ). Conclusions: Pruritic PLWH-INRs exhibit skin microbial hyper-richness, Bacillus depletion, and reduced gut diversity, suggesting a systemic inflammatory basis linked to gut-skin dysbiosis. These findings provide new insights into the pathological process, offering a potential foundation for future microbiome-targeted therapeutic strategies as novel management avenues.