Plasma Microbiome in COVID-19 Subjects: An Indicator of Gut Barrier Defects and Dysbiosis
The gut is a well-established route of infection and target for viral damage by SARS-CoV-2. This is supported by the clinical observation that about half of COVID-19 patients exhibit gastrointestinal (GI) complications. We aimed to investigate whether the analysis of plasma could provide insight int...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-08-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/23/16/9141 |
| _version_ | 1797444769675214848 |
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| author | Ram Prasad Michael John Patton Jason Levi. Floyd Seth Fortmann Mariana DuPont Angela Harbour Justin Wright Regina Lamendella Bruce R. Stevens Gavin Y. Oudit Maria B. Grant |
| author_facet | Ram Prasad Michael John Patton Jason Levi. Floyd Seth Fortmann Mariana DuPont Angela Harbour Justin Wright Regina Lamendella Bruce R. Stevens Gavin Y. Oudit Maria B. Grant |
| author_sort | Ram Prasad |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The gut is a well-established route of infection and target for viral damage by SARS-CoV-2. This is supported by the clinical observation that about half of COVID-19 patients exhibit gastrointestinal (GI) complications. We aimed to investigate whether the analysis of plasma could provide insight into gut barrier dysfunction in patients with COVID-19 infection. Plasma samples of COVID-19 patients (<i>n</i> = 146) and healthy individuals (<i>n</i> = 47) were collected during hospitalization and routine visits. Plasma microbiome was analyzed using 16S rRNA sequencing and gut permeability markers including fatty acid binding protein 2 (FABP2), peptidoglycan (PGN), and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in both patient cohorts. Plasma samples of both cohorts contained predominately <i>Proteobacteria</i>, <i>Firmicutes</i>, <i>Bacteroides</i>, and <i>Actinobacteria</i>. COVID-19 subjects exhibit significant dysbiosis (<i>p</i> = 0.001) of the plasma microbiome with increased abundance of <i>Actinobacteria</i> spp. (<i>p</i> = 0.0332), decreased abundance of <i>Bacteroides</i> spp. (<i>p</i> = 0.0003), and an increased <i>Firmicutes:Bacteroidetes</i> ratio (<i>p</i> = 0.0003) compared to healthy subjects. The concentration of the plasma gut permeability marker FABP2 (<i>p</i> = 0.0013) and the gut microbial antigens PGN (<i>p</i> < 0.0001) and LPS (<i>p</i> = 0.0049) were significantly elevated in COVID-19 patients compared to healthy subjects. These findings support the notion that the intestine may represent a source for bacteremia and contribute to worsening COVID-19 outcomes. Therapies targeting the gut and prevention of gut barrier defects may represent a strategy to improve outcomes in COVID-19 patients. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T13:17:21Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4f295dcf39a3462191f358ab061d48e9 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1661-6596 1422-0067 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T13:17:21Z |
| publishDate | 2022-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-4f295dcf39a3462191f358ab061d48e92023-11-30T21:34:31ZengMDPI AGInternational Journal of Molecular Sciences1661-65961422-00672022-08-012316914110.3390/ijms23169141Plasma Microbiome in COVID-19 Subjects: An Indicator of Gut Barrier Defects and DysbiosisRam Prasad0Michael John Patton1Jason Levi. Floyd2Seth Fortmann3Mariana DuPont4Angela Harbour5Justin Wright6Regina Lamendella7Bruce R. Stevens8Gavin Y. Oudit9Maria B. Grant10Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1670 University BLVD, VH490, Birmingham, AL 35294, USAHugh Kaul Precision Medicine Institute, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USADepartment of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1670 University BLVD, VH490, Birmingham, AL 35294, USADepartment of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1670 University BLVD, VH490, Birmingham, AL 35294, USADepartment of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1670 University BLVD, VH490, Birmingham, AL 35294, USADepartment of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1670 University BLVD, VH490, Birmingham, AL 35294, USAWright Labs, LLC, Huntingdon, PA 16652, USAWright Labs, LLC, Huntingdon, PA 16652, USADepartment of Physiology and Functional Genomics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USADivision of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute, Edmonton, AB T6G 2B7, CanadaDepartment of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1670 University BLVD, VH490, Birmingham, AL 35294, USAThe gut is a well-established route of infection and target for viral damage by SARS-CoV-2. This is supported by the clinical observation that about half of COVID-19 patients exhibit gastrointestinal (GI) complications. We aimed to investigate whether the analysis of plasma could provide insight into gut barrier dysfunction in patients with COVID-19 infection. Plasma samples of COVID-19 patients (<i>n</i> = 146) and healthy individuals (<i>n</i> = 47) were collected during hospitalization and routine visits. Plasma microbiome was analyzed using 16S rRNA sequencing and gut permeability markers including fatty acid binding protein 2 (FABP2), peptidoglycan (PGN), and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in both patient cohorts. Plasma samples of both cohorts contained predominately <i>Proteobacteria</i>, <i>Firmicutes</i>, <i>Bacteroides</i>, and <i>Actinobacteria</i>. COVID-19 subjects exhibit significant dysbiosis (<i>p</i> = 0.001) of the plasma microbiome with increased abundance of <i>Actinobacteria</i> spp. (<i>p</i> = 0.0332), decreased abundance of <i>Bacteroides</i> spp. (<i>p</i> = 0.0003), and an increased <i>Firmicutes:Bacteroidetes</i> ratio (<i>p</i> = 0.0003) compared to healthy subjects. The concentration of the plasma gut permeability marker FABP2 (<i>p</i> = 0.0013) and the gut microbial antigens PGN (<i>p</i> < 0.0001) and LPS (<i>p</i> = 0.0049) were significantly elevated in COVID-19 patients compared to healthy subjects. These findings support the notion that the intestine may represent a source for bacteremia and contribute to worsening COVID-19 outcomes. Therapies targeting the gut and prevention of gut barrier defects may represent a strategy to improve outcomes in COVID-19 patients.https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/23/16/9141circulating microbiomeCOVID-19gut barrier permeabilitydysbiosis |
| spellingShingle | Ram Prasad Michael John Patton Jason Levi. Floyd Seth Fortmann Mariana DuPont Angela Harbour Justin Wright Regina Lamendella Bruce R. Stevens Gavin Y. Oudit Maria B. Grant Plasma Microbiome in COVID-19 Subjects: An Indicator of Gut Barrier Defects and Dysbiosis International Journal of Molecular Sciences circulating microbiome COVID-19 gut barrier permeability dysbiosis |
| title | Plasma Microbiome in COVID-19 Subjects: An Indicator of Gut Barrier Defects and Dysbiosis |
| title_full | Plasma Microbiome in COVID-19 Subjects: An Indicator of Gut Barrier Defects and Dysbiosis |
| title_fullStr | Plasma Microbiome in COVID-19 Subjects: An Indicator of Gut Barrier Defects and Dysbiosis |
| title_full_unstemmed | Plasma Microbiome in COVID-19 Subjects: An Indicator of Gut Barrier Defects and Dysbiosis |
| title_short | Plasma Microbiome in COVID-19 Subjects: An Indicator of Gut Barrier Defects and Dysbiosis |
| title_sort | plasma microbiome in covid 19 subjects an indicator of gut barrier defects and dysbiosis |
| topic | circulating microbiome COVID-19 gut barrier permeability dysbiosis |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/23/16/9141 |
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