Dynamics of the Upper Respiratory Tract Microbiota and Its Association with Mortality in COVID-19

Rationale: Alteration of human respiratory microbiota had been observed in coronavirus disease (COVID-19). How the microbiota is associated with the prognosis in COVID-19 is unclear. Objectives: To characterize the feature and dynamics of the respiratory microbiota and its associations with clinical features in patients with COVID-19. Methods: We conducted metatranscriptome sequencing on 588 longitudinal oropharyngeal swab specimens collected from 192 patients with COVID-19 (including 39 deceased patients) and 95 healthy controls from the same geographic area. Meanwhile, the concentration of 27 cytokines and chemokines in plasma was measured for patients with COVID-19. Measurements and Main Results: The upper respiratory tract (URT) microbiota in patients with COVID-19 differed from that in healthy controls, whereas deceased patients possessed a more distinct microbiota, both on admission and before discharge/death. The alteration of URT microbiota showed a significant correlation with the concentration of proinflammatory cytokines and mortality. Specifically, Streptococcus-dominated microbiota was enriched in recovered patients, and showed high temporal stability and resistance against pathogens. In contrast, the microbiota in deceased patients was more susceptible to secondary infections and became more deviated from the norm after admission. Moreover, the abundance of S. parasanguinis on admission was significantly correlated with prognosis in nonsevere patients (lower vs. higher abundance, odds ratio, 7.80; 95% CI, 1.70-42.05). Conclusions: URT microbiota dysbiosis is a remarkable manifestation of COVID-19; its association with mortality suggests it may reflect the interplay between pathogens, symbionts, and the host immune status. Whether URT microbiota could be used as a biomarker for diagnosis and prognosis of respiratory diseases merits further investigation.

Automated summary

The study found differences in the upper respiratory tract microbiota of COVID-19 patients compared to healthy controls, with deceased patients showing a more distinct microbiota profile. The alterations in microbiota were correlated with inflammatory cytokine levels and mortality. Certain microbiota profiles may be associated with the prognosis of non-severe patients.