Systemic immune activation is a hallmark of HIV infection.  The loss of effector CD4+ T cells decreases mucosal integrity resulting in translocation of bacterial products into the blood stream.  The level of immune activation as a result of bacterial translocation is the best predictor of mortality in HIV infection.  Recent work from the Tufts Medical Center extends this observation by defining the association between HIV infection and specific fecal bacterial species as well as translocation and inflammatory markers.

The Intestinal Microbiota, Microbial Translocation and Systemic Inflammation in Chronic HIV Infection

Scientists at BioDtech, Inc. have measured previously undetectable levels of endotoxin which could cause activation of the immune system.  BioDtech products are designed to more accurately detect endotoxin and remove it from proteins and DNA.