Scalzo Paula L, Marshall Austin G, Soriano Sirena, Curry Kristen, Dulay Mario, Hodics Timea, Quigley Eamonn M M, Treangen Todd J, Piskorz María M, Villapol Sonia
Department of Neurosurgery, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, USA.
Center for Neuroregeneration, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, USA.
J Transl Med. 2025 Mar 14;23(1):327. doi: 10.1186/s12967-025-06348-y.
Infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, can lead to a range of physical symptoms and mental health challenges, including stress, anxiety, and depression. These effects are particularly pronounced in hospitalized patients, likely due to the virus's direct and indirect impact on the nervous system. Gut dysbiosis, an imbalance in the gut microbiome, has been implicated in immune dysfunction and chronic inflammation in COVID-19 patients. However, the interactions between gut microbiome composition and the physical and mental symptoms of COVID-19 remain incompletely understood.
We investigated the association between physical and mental symptoms, cytokine profiles, and gut microbiota composition in 124 hospitalized COVID-19 patients. We collected data on demographics, COVID-19 severity, and mental health indicators (stress, anxiety, and depression). Gut microbiome profiling was performed using full-length 16 S rRNA gene sequencing to evaluate microbial diversity and composition.
COVID-19 severity was categorized as low (27.4%), moderate (29.8%), or critical (42.8%). Common symptoms included fever (66.1%) and cough (55.6%), while somatic symptoms (27.3%), anxiety (27.3%), depressive symptoms (39%), and stress (80.5%) were frequently self-reported. Elevated interleukin-6 levels in severe cases highlighted systemic inflammation, reduced gut bacterial diversity, particularly among women and obese patients, correlated with higher disease severity. Notably, the genus Mitsuokella was associated with increased physical symptoms and mental distress, while Granulicatella was linked to critical illness.
Our findings reveal significant associations between mental health status, systemic inflammation, and gut dysbiosis in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. These results indicate the potential for microbiome-targeted therapies to mitigate psychological and physical complications and improve recovery outcomes in this population.
感染导致 COVID-19 的 SARS-CoV-2 病毒可引发一系列身体症状和心理健康问题，包括压力、焦虑和抑郁。这些影响在住院患者中尤为明显，可能是由于该病毒对神经系统的直接和间接影响。肠道微生物群失调，即肠道微生物组的失衡，与 COVID-19 患者的免疫功能障碍和慢性炎症有关。然而，肠道微生物组组成与 COVID-19 的身体和精神症状之间的相互作用仍未完全了解。
我们调查了 124 名住院 COVID-19 患者的身体和精神症状、细胞因子谱与肠道微生物群组成之间的关联。我们收集了人口统计学、COVID-19 严重程度和心理健康指标（压力、焦虑和抑郁）的数据。使用全长 16S rRNA 基因测序进行肠道微生物组分析，以评估微生物多样性和组成。
COVID-19 严重程度分为低（27.4%）、中（29.8%）或危（42.8%）。常见症状包括发热（66.1%）和咳嗽（55.6%），而躯体症状（27.3%）、焦虑（27.3%）、抑郁症状（39%）和压力（80.5%）是常见的自我报告症状。重症病例中白细胞介素-6 水平升高突出了全身炎症，肠道细菌多样性降低，尤其是在女性和肥胖患者中，与疾病严重程度较高相关。值得注意的是， Mitsuokella 属与身体症状和精神痛苦增加有关，而 Granulicatella 与危重症有关。
我们的研究结果揭示了住院 COVID-19 患者心理健康状况、全身炎症与肠道微生物群失调之间的显著关联。这些结果表明，针对微生物组的疗法有可能减轻该人群的心理和身体并发症，并改善康复结果。
