Butyrate-producing gut bacteria and viral infections in kidney transplant recipients: A pilot study

Transpl Infect Dis. 2019 Dec;21(6):e13180. doi: 10.1111/tid.13180. Epub 2019 Oct 8.

Abstract

Background: The gut microbiome is being associated increasingly with development of infections besides Clostridium difficile infection. A recent study found an association between butyrate-producing gut (BPG) bacteria and less frequent development of lower respiratory viral infections in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients (Haak et al, Blood 131(26): 2978, 2018). In this investigation, we examine the relationship between the abundance of BPG bacteria and the development of viral infections in a cohort of kidney transplant recipients.

Methods: We recruited 168 kidney transplant recipients who provided 510 fecal specimens in the first 3 months after transplantation and profiled the gut microbiota using 16S rRNA gene sequencing of the V4-V5 hypervariable region. We classified the kidney transplant recipients into higher BPG Bacteria Group and lower BPG Bacteria Group using the same criteria of 1% relative gut abundance of BPG bacteria as the Haak et al study.

Results: Administration of antibiotics against anaerobes was associated with a significant decrease in the relative gut abundance of BPG bacteria. The higher BPG Bacteria Group was associated with less development of respiratory viral infections (Hazard Ratio [HR]: 0.28, P = .01) but not with less development of CMV viremia (HR: 0.38, P = .13) or BK viremia (HR: 1.02, P = .98) at 2 years post transplantation.

Conclusion: Our pilot investigation supports future validation of the relationship between high relative gut abundance of BPG bacteria and decreased risk for development of respiratory viral infections.

Keywords: butyrate; gut microbiome; gut microbiota; respiratory viral infections; viral infections.

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / adverse effects
  • Antibiotic Prophylaxis / adverse effects
  • Bacteria / drug effects
  • Bacteria / immunology
  • Bacteria / isolation & purification*
  • Bacteria / metabolism
  • Bacterial Infections / immunology
  • Bacterial Infections / prevention & control
  • Butyrates / metabolism
  • DNA, Bacterial / isolation & purification
  • Feces / microbiology
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Gastrointestinal Microbiome / drug effects
  • Gastrointestinal Microbiome / physiology*
  • Graft Rejection / immunology
  • Graft Rejection / prevention & control
  • Humans
  • Immunosuppressive Agents / adverse effects
  • Kidney Transplantation / adverse effects*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Pilot Projects
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / genetics
  • Respiratory Tract Infections / epidemiology*
  • Respiratory Tract Infections / immunology
  • Respiratory Tract Infections / virology
  • Virus Diseases / epidemiology*
  • Virus Diseases / immunology
  • Virus Diseases / virology

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Butyrates
  • DNA, Bacterial
  • Immunosuppressive Agents
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 16S