Medically Associated Science and Technology (MAST) Program, Cedars-Sinai, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Karsh Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Dig Dis Sci. 2023 Oct;68(10):3902-3912. doi: 10.1007/s10620-023-08061-6. Epub 2023 Aug 14.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic necessitated many severe lifestyle changes, including lockdowns, social distancing, altered food consumption and exercise patterns, and extensive hygiene practices. These extensive changes may have affected the human gut microbiome, which is highly influenced by lifestyle.
To examine the potential effects of pandemic-related lifestyle changes on the metabolically relevant small bowel microbiome.
Adult subjects presenting for upper endoscopy without colonoscopy were identified and divided into two matched groups: pre-pandemic (February 2019-March 2020) and intra-pandemic (April 2021-September 2021, all COVID-19 negative). Duodenal aspirates and blood samples were collected. Duodenal microbiomes were analyzed by 16S rRNA sequencing. Serum cytokine levels were analyzed by Luminex FlexMap3D.
Fifty-six pre-pandemic and 38 COVID-negative intra-pandemic subjects were included. There were no significant changes in duodenal microbial alpha diversity in the intra-pandemic vs. pre-pandemic group, but beta diversity was significantly different. The relative abundance (RA) of phylum Deinococcus-Thermus and family Thermaceae, which are resistant extremophiles, was significantly higher in the intra-pandemic vs. pre-pandemic group. The RA of several Gram-negative taxa including Bacteroidaceae (phylum Bacteroidetes) and the Proteobacteria families Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonadaceae, and the RA of potential disruptor genera Escherichia-Shigella and Rothia, were significantly lower in the intra-pandemic vs. pre-pandemic group. Circulating levels of interleukin-18 were also lower in the intra-pandemic group.
These findings suggest the small bowel microbiome underwent significant changes during the pandemic, in COVID-19-negative individuals. Given the key roles of the small bowel microbiota in host physiology, this may have implications for human health.
2019 年冠状病毒病（COVID-19）全球大流行迫使人们生活方式发生了许多重大改变，包括封锁、社交距离、改变食物消费和运动模式以及广泛的卫生实践。这些广泛的变化可能影响了人类肠道微生物群，而生活方式对肠道微生物群有很大影响。
研究与大流行相关的生活方式改变对代谢相关的小肠微生物组的潜在影响。
确定了因上消化道内镜检查而就诊的成人患者，并将其分为两组：流行前（2019 年 2 月至 2020 年 3 月）和流行期间（2021 年 4 月至 2021 年 9 月，均为 COVID-19 阴性）。采集十二指肠抽吸物和血样。通过 16S rRNA 测序分析十二指肠微生物组。通过 Luminex FlexMap3D 分析血清细胞因子水平。
共纳入 56 例流行前和 38 例 COVID-19 阴性流行期间患者。与流行前相比，流行期间患者的十二指肠微生物 alpha 多样性没有明显变化，但 beta 多样性明显不同。极度耐热的 Deinococcus-Thermus 门和 Thermaceae 科的相对丰度（RA）在流行期间明显高于流行前。Bacteroidetes 门的 Bacteroidaceae 科和 Proteobacteria 门的 Enterobacteriaceae 科和 Pseudomonadaceae 科的革兰氏阴性菌 RA，以及潜在的破坏菌属 Escherichia-Shigella 和 Rothia 的 RA，在流行期间均明显低于流行前。流行期间的白细胞介素-18 循环水平也较低。
这些发现表明，在 COVID-19 阴性个体中，小肠微生物组在大流行期间发生了显著变化。鉴于小肠微生物群在宿主生理学中的关键作用，这可能对人类健康产生影响。
