Lung and gut microbiota profiling in intensive care unit patients: a prospective pilot study
Abstract Background The gut and lung microbiomes play crucial roles in host defense and mayserve as predictive markersfor clinical outcomes in critically ill patients. Despite this, the simultaneous dynamics of lung and gut microbiomes during critical illness remain unclear. This study aims to asses...
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BMC
2025-04-01
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12879-025-10825-6 |
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| author | Antonios Kritikos Eric Bernasconi Yangji Choi Valentin Scherz Jean-Luc Pagani Gilbert Greub Claire Bertelli Benoit Guery |
| author_facet | Antonios Kritikos Eric Bernasconi Yangji Choi Valentin Scherz Jean-Luc Pagani Gilbert Greub Claire Bertelli Benoit Guery |
| author_sort | Antonios Kritikos |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background The gut and lung microbiomes play crucial roles in host defense and mayserve as predictive markersfor clinical outcomes in critically ill patients. Despite this, the simultaneous dynamics of lung and gut microbiomes during critical illness remain unclear. This study aims to assess the longitudinal changes in lung and gut microbiota among mechanically ventilated ICU patients with and without infection and to identify microbial features predictive of clinical outcomes, including the development of ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP). Methods In this prospective observational study, we analyzed 73 endotracheal aspirates (ETA) and 93 rectal swabs collected from 38 ICU patients over multiple timepoints (intubation, infection onset, post-antibiotic, and extubation/discharge). Patients were categorized into three groups: (1) VAP, (2) other infections, and (3) uninfected controls. Lung and gut microbiota were characterized using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Primary outcomes included microbial diversity and community composition; secondary outcomes included ICU length of stay and ventilator-free days. Results Alpha diversity declined more significantly in infected patients than in controls during the ICU stay, with the most pronounced changes in lung microbiota. We found an enrichment of Enterobacteriaceae and other Proteobacteria in the lung microbiome of pneumonia patients, while the gut microbiota remained relatively stable. Relative abundances of key taxa such as Mogibacterium were associated with mechanical ventilation duration. Conclusions This study reveals that distinct microbial patterns in both lung and gut microbiota are associated with infection and clinical outcomes in critically ill patients. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for developing targeted microbiota interventions, potentially improving outcomes such as VAP prevention and management. Trial registration Ethics Committee of Canton Vaud, Switzerland (2017–01820). |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-94e9a113681b4d51a6b507c870b8fa88 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1471-2334 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Infectious Diseases |
| spelling | doaj-art-94e9a113681b4d51a6b507c870b8fa882025-08-20T01:53:23ZengBMCBMC Infectious Diseases1471-23342025-04-0125111510.1186/s12879-025-10825-6Lung and gut microbiota profiling in intensive care unit patients: a prospective pilot studyAntonios Kritikos0Eric Bernasconi1Yangji Choi2Valentin Scherz3Jean-Luc Pagani4Gilbert Greub5Claire Bertelli6Benoit Guery7Institute of Microbiology, Lausanne University Hospital and University of LausanneDepartment of Respiratory Medicine, Lausanne University Hospital and University of LausanneInstitute of Microbiology, Lausanne University Hospital and University of LausanneInstitute of Microbiology, Lausanne University Hospital and University of LausanneIntensive Care Unit, Lausanne University Hospital and University of LausanneInstitute of Microbiology, Lausanne University Hospital and University of LausanneInstitute of Microbiology, Lausanne University Hospital and University of LausanneService of Infectious Diseases, Lausanne University Hospital and University of LausanneAbstract Background The gut and lung microbiomes play crucial roles in host defense and mayserve as predictive markersfor clinical outcomes in critically ill patients. Despite this, the simultaneous dynamics of lung and gut microbiomes during critical illness remain unclear. This study aims to assess the longitudinal changes in lung and gut microbiota among mechanically ventilated ICU patients with and without infection and to identify microbial features predictive of clinical outcomes, including the development of ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP). Methods In this prospective observational study, we analyzed 73 endotracheal aspirates (ETA) and 93 rectal swabs collected from 38 ICU patients over multiple timepoints (intubation, infection onset, post-antibiotic, and extubation/discharge). Patients were categorized into three groups: (1) VAP, (2) other infections, and (3) uninfected controls. Lung and gut microbiota were characterized using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Primary outcomes included microbial diversity and community composition; secondary outcomes included ICU length of stay and ventilator-free days. Results Alpha diversity declined more significantly in infected patients than in controls during the ICU stay, with the most pronounced changes in lung microbiota. We found an enrichment of Enterobacteriaceae and other Proteobacteria in the lung microbiome of pneumonia patients, while the gut microbiota remained relatively stable. Relative abundances of key taxa such as Mogibacterium were associated with mechanical ventilation duration. Conclusions This study reveals that distinct microbial patterns in both lung and gut microbiota are associated with infection and clinical outcomes in critically ill patients. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for developing targeted microbiota interventions, potentially improving outcomes such as VAP prevention and management. Trial registration Ethics Committee of Canton Vaud, Switzerland (2017–01820).https://doi.org/10.1186/s12879-025-10825-6Gut microbiotaLung microbiotaGut-lung axisIntensive care unitVentilation acquired pneumoniaDysbiosis |
| spellingShingle | Antonios Kritikos Eric Bernasconi Yangji Choi Valentin Scherz Jean-Luc Pagani Gilbert Greub Claire Bertelli Benoit Guery Lung and gut microbiota profiling in intensive care unit patients: a prospective pilot study BMC Infectious Diseases Gut microbiota Lung microbiota Gut-lung axis Intensive care unit Ventilation acquired pneumonia Dysbiosis |
| title | Lung and gut microbiota profiling in intensive care unit patients: a prospective pilot study |
| title_full | Lung and gut microbiota profiling in intensive care unit patients: a prospective pilot study |
| title_fullStr | Lung and gut microbiota profiling in intensive care unit patients: a prospective pilot study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Lung and gut microbiota profiling in intensive care unit patients: a prospective pilot study |
| title_short | Lung and gut microbiota profiling in intensive care unit patients: a prospective pilot study |
| title_sort | lung and gut microbiota profiling in intensive care unit patients a prospective pilot study |
| topic | Gut microbiota Lung microbiota Gut-lung axis Intensive care unit Ventilation acquired pneumonia Dysbiosis |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12879-025-10825-6 |
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