Gut microbiota from patients with COVID-19 cause alterations in mice that resemble post-COVID symptoms

ABSTRACTLong-term sequelae of coronavirus disease (COVID)-19 are frequent and of major concern. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection affects the host gut microbiota, which is linked to disease severity in patients with COVID-19. Here, we report that the gut microbio...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Gut Microbes
Main Authors: Viviani Mendes de Almeida, Daiane F. Engel, Mayra F. Ricci, Clênio Silva Cruz, Ícaro Santos Lopes, Daniele Almeida Alves, Mirna d’ Auriol, João Magalhães, Elayne C. Machado, Victor M. Rocha, Toniana G. Carvalho, Larisse S. B. Lacerda, Jordane C. Pimenta, Mariana Aganetti, Giuliana S. Zuccoli, Bradley J. Smith, Victor C. Carregari, Erika da Silva Rosa, Izabela Galvão, Geovanni Dantas Cassali, Cristiana C. Garcia, Mauro Martins Teixeira, Leiliane C. André, Fabiola Mara Ribeiro, Flaviano S. Martins, Rafael Simone Saia, Vivian Vasconcelos Costa, Daniel Martins-de-Souza, Philip M. Hansbro, João Trindade Marques, Eric R. G. R. Aguiar, Angélica T. Vieira
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2023-12-01
Subjects:
COVID-19
SARS-CoV-2
post-COVID
microbiota
inflammation
antimicrobial-resistance
Online Access:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/19490976.2023.2249146
Description
Summary:ABSTRACTLong-term sequelae of coronavirus disease (COVID)-19 are frequent and of major concern. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection affects the host gut microbiota, which is linked to disease severity in patients with COVID-19. Here, we report that the gut microbiota of post-COVID subjects had a remarkable predominance of Enterobacteriaceae strains with an antibiotic-resistant phenotype compared to healthy controls. Additionally, short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) levels were reduced in feces. Fecal transplantation from post-COVID subjects to germ-free mice led to lung inflammation and worse outcomes during pulmonary infection by multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae. transplanted mice also exhibited poor cognitive performance. Overall, we show prolonged impacts of SARS-CoV-2 infection on the gut microbiota that persist after subjects have cleared the virus. Together, these data demonstrate that the gut microbiota can directly contribute to post-COVID sequelae, suggesting that it may be a potential therapeutic target.
ISSN:1949-0976
1949-0984

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