Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, Rutgers, The State University of New Jerseygrid.430387.b, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA.
Center for Microbiome, Nutrition, and Health, New Jersey Institute for Food, Nutrition, and Health, Rutgers, The State University of New Jerseygrid.430387.b, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA.
mBio. 2022 Apr 26;13(2):e0380121. doi: 10.1128/mbio.03801-21. Epub 2022 Mar 7.
With the increase in total coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection cases, post-acute COVID-19 syndrome, defined as experiencing ongoing health problems 4 or more weeks after the first severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, has become a new arising public health concern. As part of post-acute COVID-19 syndrome, gastrointestinal symptoms might be associated with dysbiosis of the gut microbiota, which has the potential to become a target for intervention. In this study, a patient with post-acute COVID-19 syndrome with long-lasting severe gastrointestinal symptoms was provided 2-month expanded access to a high-fiber formula with investigational new drug (IND) status developed to alleviate COVID-19-related symptoms by modulating the gut microbiota. Symptoms including severe "loss of appetite," palpitation, and anxiety were significantly alleviated by the end of the intervention. The medication dosage for controlling nausea decreased during the intervention. The serum lipid profile, insulin level, and leptin level were improved compared to the baseline values. Significant structural changes of the patient's gut microbiota and reduced microbial fermentation activity in the small intestine were found during the intervention. Eighteen amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) of the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene significantly responded to this nutritional intervention. Six out of the 18 ASVs were also found to be negatively correlated with symptom severity/medication dosage. Five of the six ASVs (ASV0AKS_, ASV009F_, ASV02YT_, ASV07LA_, and ASV0AM6_Eubacterium hallii) were potential short-chain fatty acid (SCFA)-producing bacteria, which might be associated with the alleviation of symptoms. Our study indicates the feasibility of alleviating gastrointestinal symptoms in patients with post-acute COVID-19 syndrome by way of nutritional modulation of their gut microbiota. It has become evident that the care of patients with COVID-19 does not end at the time of negative SARS-CoV-2 detection, as the number of patients with post-acute COVID-19 syndrome increases with an ever-increasing total infected patient population. This case report shows the possibility of alleviating the gastrointestinal symptoms of post-acute COVID-19 syndrome via microbiota-targeted nutritional intervention. As a promising strategy, it might not only improve the quality of life of patients but also reduce the burden to the public health system when the end of the COVID-19 pandemic is not in sight.
随着 2019 年冠状病毒病(COVID-19)感染病例的增加,人们对急性 COVID-19 后综合征(定义为在首次感染严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒 2(SARS-CoV-2)后 4 周或更长时间出现持续健康问题)日益关注。作为急性 COVID-19 后综合征的一部分,胃肠道症状可能与肠道微生物群的失调有关,而肠道微生物群可能成为干预的目标。在这项研究中,为一名患有长期严重胃肠道症状的急性 COVID-19 后综合征患者提供了具有研究新药(IND)地位的高纤维配方的两个月扩展访问,该配方旨在通过调节肠道微生物群来缓解 COVID-19 相关症状。干预结束时,严重的“食欲不振”、心悸和焦虑等症状明显缓解。在干预期间,控制恶心的药物剂量减少。与基线值相比,血清脂质谱、胰岛素水平和瘦素水平得到改善。在干预期间发现患者肠道微生物群的结构发生了显著变化,小肠中的微生物发酵活性降低。16S rRNA 基因 V4 区的 18 个扩增子序列变体(ASV)对这种营养干预有显著反应。其中 6 个 ASV 与症状严重程度/药物剂量呈负相关。这 6 个 ASV 中有 5 个(ASV0AKS_、ASV009F_、ASV02YT_、ASV07LA_和 ASV0AM6_Eubacterium hallii)是潜在的短链脂肪酸(SCFA)产生菌,可能与症状缓解有关。我们的研究表明,通过调节肠道微生物群的营养来缓解急性 COVID-19 后综合征患者的胃肠道症状是可行的。随着感染总人数的增加,急性 COVID-19 后综合征患者的数量不断增加,因此,对 COVID-19 患者的护理在 SARS-CoV-2 检测呈阴性时并未结束。本病例报告显示,通过针对微生物群的营养干预缓解急性 COVID-19 后综合征的胃肠道症状是可能的。作为一种有前途的策略,当 COVID-19 大流行结束遥遥无期时,它不仅可以提高患者的生活质量,还可以减轻公共卫生系统的负担。