The mutual interactions among Helicobacter pylori, chronic gastritis, and the gut microbiota: a population-based study in Jinjiang, Fujian.

OBJECTIVES

Helicobacter pylori () is a type of bacteria that infects the stomach lining, and it is a major cause of chronic gastritis (CG). infection can influence the composition of the gastric microbiota. Additionally, alterations in the gut microbiome have been associated with various health conditions, including gastrointestinal disorders. The dysbiosis in gut microbiota of human is associated with the decreased secretion of gastric acid. Chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG) and infection are also causes of reduced gastric acid secretion. However, the specific details of how infection and CG, especially for CAG, influence the gut microbiome can vary and are still an area of ongoing investigation. The incidence of CAG and infection rate of has obvious regional characteristics, and Fujian Province in China is a high incidence area of CAG as well as infection. We aimed to characterize the microbial changes and find potential diagnostic markers associated with infection of as well as CG of subjects in Jinjiang City, Fujian Province, China.

PARTICIPANTS

Enrollment involved sequencing the 16S rRNA gene in fecal samples from 176 cases, adhering to stringent inclusion and exclusion criteria. For our study, we included healthy volunteers (Normal), individuals with chronic non-atrophic gastritis (CNAG), and those with CAG from Fujian, China. The aim was to assess gut microbiome dysbiosis based on various histopathological features. QIIME and LEfSe analyses were performed. There were 176 cases, comprising 126 individuals who tested negative for and 50 who tested positive defined by C14 urea breath tests and histopathological findings in biopsies obtained through endoscopy. CAG was also staged by applying OLGIM system.

RESULTS

When merging the outcomes from 16S rRNA gene sequencing results, there were no notable variations in alpha diversity among the following groups: Normal, CNAG, and CAG; OLGIM I and OLGIM II; and positive [Hp (+)] and negative [Hp (-)] groups. Beta diversity among different groups show significant separation through the NMDS diagrams. LEfSe analyses confirmed 2, 3, and 6 bacterial species were in abundance in the Normal, CNAG, and CAG groups; 26 and 2 species in the OLGIM I and OLGIM II group; 22 significant phylotypes were identified in Hp (+) and Hp (-) group, 21 and 1, respectively; 9 bacterial species exhibited significant differences between individuals with CG who were Hp (+) and those who were Hp (-).

CONCLUSION

The study uncovered notable distinctions in the characteristics of gut microbiota among the following groups: Normal, CNAG, and CAG; OLGIM I and OLGIM II; and Hp (+) and Hp (-) groups. Through the analysis of infection in CNAG and CAG groups, we found the gut microbiota characteristics of different group show significant difference because of infection. Several bacterial genera could potentially serve as diagnostic markers for infection and the progression of CG.