Abstract
The gut microbiota is closely related to the development of sepsis. The aim of this study was to explore changes in the gut microbiota and gut metabolism, as well as potential relationships between the gut microbiota and environmental factors in the early stages of sepsis. Fecal samples were collected from 10 septic patients on the first and third days following diagnosis in this study. The results showed that in the early stages of sepsis, the gut microbiota is dominated by microorganisms that are tightly associated with inflammation, such as Escherichia-Shigella, Enterococcus, Enterobacteriaceae, and Streptococcus. On sepsis day 3 compared to day 1, there was a significant decrease in Lactobacillus and Bacteroides and a significant increase in Enterobacteriaceae, Streptococcus, and Parabacteroides. Culturomica_massiliensis, Prevotella_7 spp., Prevotellaceae, and Pediococcus showed significant differences in abundance on sepsis day 1, but not on sepsis day 3. Additionally, 2-keto-isovaleric acid 1 and 4-hydroxy-6-methyl-2-pyrone metabolites significantly increased on sepsis day 3 compared to day 1. Prevotella_7 spp. was positively correlated with phosphate and negatively correlated with 2-keto-isovaleric acid 1 and 3-hydroxypropionic acid 1, while Prevotella_9 spp. was positively correlated with sequential organ failure assessment score, procalcitonin and intensive care unit stay time. In conclusion, the gut microbiota and metabolites are altered during sepsis, with some beneficial microorganisms decreasing and some pathogenic microorganisms increasing. Furthermore, Prevotellaceae members may play different roles in the intestinal tract, with Prevotella_7 spp. potentially possessing beneficial health properties and Prevotella_9 spp. potentially playing a promoting role in sepsis.
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Data availability
The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
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This project was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China-Regional Innovation and Development Joint Fund (U20A20366).
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All authors participated in the design, interpretation of the studies, analysis of the data and review of the manuscript. Yang Zhou designed the research and wrote the manuscript. Yinghao Luo reviewed and edited the manuscript. Xibo Wang implemented the experiments and performed the data analysis. All authors contributed to the article and approved the submitted version.
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Ethical approval for the study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University (IRB-AF/SC-04/02.0), Harbin, China. This study was conducted according to a protocol that was approved by the Medical Ethics Research Committee of our hospital. In this study, all research was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. Written informed consent was duly obtained from all patients.
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Yang Zhou, Yinghao Luo, and Xibo Wang contributed equally to this work and are listed as co-first authors.
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Zhou, Y., Luo, Y., Wang, X. et al. Early gut microbiological changes and metabolomic changes in patients with sepsis: a preliminary study. Int Microbiol 26, 1131–1142 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10123-023-00363-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10123-023-00363-z