title: sCD14 is not a bona-fide biomarker of microbial translocation in HIV-1-infected Africans living in Belgium.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare microbial translocation and its biomarkers in HIV-1-infected African and White patients of the Liège AIDS Reference Center.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study is based on a cross-sectional dataset of HIV-infected patients treated at the Liège AIDS Reference Center. Groups of white and African patients have been randomly selected to be identical for sex, age and duration of treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  sCD14, lipopolysaccharide (LPS), lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP) and routine HIV-follow-up parameters were measured on plasma samples.
  
  
  RESULTS
  High values of LPS and LBP were observed in both groups of patients without significant difference between them. High values of sCD14 were observed in 53.1% of whites and only in 18.8% of African patients (P = 0.0042). A correlation between LPS and sCD14 was observed in whites but not African patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our observation suggests that factors not related to microbial translocation are responsible for lower sCD14 value in Africans.
authors.affiliation: University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: Adrien
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: De Voeght
authors.forename: Nathalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Maes
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moutschen
mesh_terms: D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins; D000328:Adult; D018988:Bacterial Translocation; D001530:Belgium; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D044383:Black People; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D018950:Lipopolysaccharide Receptors / Q000097:blood*; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000097:blood; D008875:Middle Aged; D010949:Plasma / Q000737:chemistry; D044465:White People; D000099231:Lipopolysaccharide-Binding Protein
chemical_list: D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins; D015415:Biomarkers; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D018950:Lipopolysaccharide Receptors; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D000099231:Lipopolysaccharide-Binding Protein