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Publications

Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Epublish 50 citations

PubMed: 35873161 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.908492

The Relationship Between Pediatric Gut Microbiota and SARS-CoV-2 Infection.

Front Cell Infect Microbiol 12:908492

Authors: Lorenza Romani, Federica Del Chierico, Gabriele Macari, Stefania Pane, Maria Vittoria Ristori, Valerio Guarrasi, Simone Gardini, Giuseppe Rubens Pascucci, Nicola Cotugno, Carlo Federico Perno, Paolo Rossi, Alberto Villani, Stefania Bernardi, Andrea Campana, Paolo Palma, Lorenza Putignani

Affiliations

  • Infectious Disease Unit, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
  • Multimodal Laboratory Medicine Research Area, Unit of Human Microbiome, IRCCS, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
  • GenomeUp SRL, Rome, Italy.
  • Department of Diagnostic and Laboratory Medicine, Unit of Microbiology and Diagnostic Immunology, Unit of Microbiomics, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
  • Research Unit of Congenital and Perinatal Infections, Bambino Gesu` Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
  • Chair of Pediatrics, Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome ''Tor Vergata'', Rome, Italy.
  • Department of Diagnostic and Laboratory Medicine, Unit of Microbiology and Diagnostic Immunology, Multimodal Laboratory Medicine Research Area, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
  • Chair of Pediatrics, Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome ''Tor Vergata'', Rome, Italy. Academic Department of Pediatrics, Bambino Gesu` Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
  • Pediatric Emergency Department and General Pediatrics, Children Hospital Bambino Gesù, IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
  • Department of Pediatrics, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
  • Department of Diagnostic and Laboratory Medicine, Unit of Microbiology and Diagnostic Immunology, Unit of Microbiomics and Multimodal Laboratory Medicine Research Area, Unit of Human Microbiome, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy.

Abstract

This is the first study on gut microbiota (GM) in children affected by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Stool samples from 88 patients with suspected severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and 95 healthy subjects were collected (admission: 3-7 days, discharge) to study GM profile by 16S rRNA gene sequencing and relationship to disease severity. The study group was divided in COVID-19 (68), Non-COVID-19 (16), and MIS-C (multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children) (4). Correlations among GM ecology, predicted functions, multiple machine learning (ML) models, and inflammatory response were provided for COVID-19 and Non-COVID-19 cohorts. The GM of COVID-19 cohort resulted as dysbiotic, with the lowest α-diversity compared with Non-COVID-19 and CTRLs and by a specific β-diversity. Its profile appeared enriched in , , and and reduced in , , , , , , and , compared with CTRLs ( 0.05). All GM paired-comparisons disclosed comparable results through all time points. The comparison between COVID-19 and Non-COVID-19 cohorts highlighted a reduction of in the COVID-19 cohort ( < 0.05). The GM of MIS-C cohort was characterized by an increase of , , , , and and a decrease of , , , and , compared with CTRLs. Stratifying for disease severity, the GM associated to "moderate" COVID-19 was characterized by lower α-diversity compared with "mild" and "asymptomatic" and by a GM profile deprived in , , , and and enriched in , , , , , , and The ML models identified , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , and as microbial markers of COVID-19. The KEGG ortholog (KO)-based prediction of GM functional profile highlighted 28 and 39 KO-associated pathways to COVID-19 and CTRLs, respectively. Finally, and correlated with proinflammatory cytokines regardless disease severity. Unlike adult GM profiles, was a specific marker of pediatric COVID-19 GM. The durable modification of patients' GM profile suggested a prompt GM quenching response to SARS-CoV-2 infection since the first symptoms. and reduced fatty acid and amino acid degradation were proposed as specific COVID-19 disease traits, possibly associated to restrained severity of SARS-CoV-2-infected children. Altogether, this evidence provides a characterization of the pediatric COVID-19-related GM.

MeSH

Dysbiosis, Coronavirus, Genes, Rrna, Sars-Cov-2, Cell Biology, Covid-19, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Related Coronavirus, Gastrointestinal Microbiome, Microbiota, Infections, Child, Immunology

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