Presti RM, et al. - The oral bacterial microbiome was characterized in HIV-infected participants at baseline and after 24 weeks of EFV/FTC/TDF. On assessing 35 participants, co-enrolled in two AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG) studies, A5272 and A5280, with paired saliva samples and complete data sets, researchers noted variation regarding both the number of taxa detected and the average alpha diversity between participants at baseline, however, the participants were not significantly different in terms of CD4+ cell count, viral load or other factors. Participants with persistently low CD4+ T-cell counts showed markedly higher bacterial richness and diversity after 24 weeks of ART. Observations suggest that shifts in the oral microbiome following ART initiation are complex. In immune function and inflammatory disease, these shifts might have a significant role.