Analysis of the intestinal microbiota in COVID-19 patients and its correlation with the inflammatory factor IL-18.
Med Microecol
; 5: 100023, 2020 Sep.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1281499
ABSTRACT
The ongoing global pandemic of COVID-19 disease, which is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), mainly infect lung epithelial cells, and spread mainly through respiratory droplets. However, recent studies showed potential intestinal infection of SARS-CoV-2, implicated the possibility that the intestinal infection of SARS-CoV-2 may correlate with the dysbiosis of gut microbiota, as well as the severity of COVID-19 symptoms. Here, we investigated the alteration of the gut microbiota in COVID-19 patients, as well as analyzed the correlation between the altered microbes and the levels of intestinal inflammatory cytokine IL-18, which was reported to be elevated in the serum of in COVID-19 patients. Comparing with healthy controls or seasonal flu patients, the gut microbiota showed significantly reduced diversity, with increased opportunistic pathogens in COVID-19 patients. Also, IL-18 level was higher in the fecal samples of COVID-19 patients than in those of either healthy controls or seasonal flu patients. Moreover, the IL-18 levels were even higher in the fecal supernatants obtained from COVID-19 patients that tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA than those that tested negative in fecal samples. These results indicate that changes in gut microbiota composition might contribute to SARS-CoV-2-induced production of inflammatory cytokines in the intestine and potentially also to the onset of a cytokine storm.
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Type of study:
Prognostic study
Language:
English
Journal:
Med Microecol
Year:
2020
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
J.medmic.2020.100023
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