Journal
NPJ BIOFILMS AND MICROBIOMES
Volume 7, Issue 1, Pages -Publisher
NATURE RESEARCH
DOI: 10.1038/s41522-021-00232-5
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Funding
- National Natural Science Foundation of China [82072062]
- National Science and Technology Key Projects for Major Infectious Diseases [2017ZX10302301-002]
- Guangzhou Science and Technology Planning Project [201704020226, 201604020006]
- National Key Research and Development Program of China [2016YFC1200105]
- Three Major Scientific Research Projects of Sun Yat-sen University [20200326236]
- Guangdong Scientific and Technological Research Project for COVID-19 containment [2020A111128022, 2020B111112003]
- Guangdong Scientific and Technological Research for COVID-19 [202020012612200001]
- Zhuhai Scientific and Technological Research Project for COVID-19 containment [ZH22036302200029PWC]
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This study investigated the dynamics of oral and gut flora in 53 COVID-19 patients before and after the clearance of SARS-CoV-2, comparing them with 76 healthy individuals. The findings revealed a potential association between SARS-CoV-2 infection and alterations in the microbiome community, suggesting new dimensions for disease pathophysiology, potential microbial biomarkers, and treatment strategies for COVID-19.
The human oral and gut commensal microbes play vital roles in the development and maintenance of immune homeostasis, while its association with susceptibility and severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection is barely understood. In this study, we investigated the dynamics of the oral and intestinal flora before and after the clearance of SARS-CoV-2 in 53 COVID-19 patients, and then examined their microbiome alterations in comparison to 76 healthy individuals. A total of 140 throat swab samples and 81 fecal samples from these COVID-19 patients during hospitalization, and 44 throat swab samples and 32 fecal samples from sex and age-matched healthy individuals were collected and then subjected to 16S rRNA sequencing and viral load inspection. We found that SARS-CoV-2 infection was associated with alterations of the microbiome community in patients as indicated by both alpha and beta diversity indexes. Several bacterial taxa were identified related to SARS-CoV-2 infection, wherein elevated Granulicatella and Rothia mucilaginosa were found in both oral and gut microbiome. The SARS-CoV-2 viral load in those samples was also calculated to identify potential dynamics between COVID-19 and the microbiome. These findings provide a meaningful baseline for microbes in the digestive tract of COVID-19 patients and will shed light on new dimensions for disease pathophysiology, potential microbial biomarkers, and treatment strategies for COVID-19.
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