LBP and HIV-1 infection: Moreover, since HIV-1 infection is characterized by a persistent immune activation [22], the analysis of IFN response concomitant with measures of well-established immunological markers (e.g., interleukin-6 (IL-6), lipopolysaccharide binding protein (LBP), and CD4 counts) should be performed in HIV-1-infected patients to ascertain the potential benefit of this probiotic supplementation.