Gut microbiota in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease varies by CT-verified emphysema status

Background and aim The association of the gut microbiota to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) phenotypes is underexplored. We aimed to compare stool samples from patients with COPD and subjects without COPD and relate findings to emphysema status, exacerbation rate, blood eosinophil level...

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Main Authors: Anders Ørskov Rotevatn, Tomas Mikal Eagan, Solveig Tangedal, Gunnar Reksten Husebø, Kristoffer Ostridge, Rune Nielsen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2025-12-01
Series:European Clinical Respiratory Journal
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Online Access:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/20018525.2025.2470499
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author Anders Ørskov Rotevatn
Tomas Mikal Eagan
Solveig Tangedal
Gunnar Reksten Husebø
Kristoffer Ostridge
Rune Nielsen
author_facet Anders Ørskov Rotevatn
Tomas Mikal Eagan
Solveig Tangedal
Gunnar Reksten Husebø
Kristoffer Ostridge
Rune Nielsen
author_sort Anders Ørskov Rotevatn
collection DOAJ
description Background and aim The association of the gut microbiota to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) phenotypes is underexplored. We aimed to compare stool samples from patients with COPD and subjects without COPD and relate findings to emphysema status, exacerbation rate, blood eosinophil levels, symptom score, and lung function.Methods We report findings from a single-centre case–control study with 62 current and former smoking patients with COPD and 49 subjects without COPD. DNA was extracted from stool samples, and the V3V4-region of the bacterial 16S-rRNA gene was sequenced. Emphysema was defined based on thoracic computed tomography (CT thorax) low attenuating areas ≥/<10% at threshold -950 and -910 hounsfield units, respectively. Differential abundance of taxa was evaluated using Analysis of Composition of Microbes with Bias Correction (ANCOM-BC). Beta diversity was compared using a distance-based permanova-test.Results The genus Veillonella was decreased and a genus belonging to class Clostridia was increased in COPD compared with controls without COPD. The composition of microbes (beta diversity) differed in emphysema compared to controls, and 27 genera were differentially abundant in emphysema vs. controls. Nine of these genera belonged to the family Lachnospiraceae. Lung function, blood counts and COPD assessment test score correlated with several genera’s relative abundance. Of the genera showing significant correlation to lung function, nine belonged to the family Lachnospiraceae.Conclusion The gut microbiota in COPD differs from that in healthy individuals, even more so in emphysema. In particular, future studies should look into the mechanisms and therapeutic potential of dysbiosis affecting the family Lachnospiraceae.
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spelling doaj-art-e2b6860fbae14afdb29f4271301566142025-08-20T02:38:11ZengTaylor & Francis GroupEuropean Clinical Respiratory Journal2001-85252025-12-0112110.1080/20018525.2025.2470499Gut microbiota in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease varies by CT-verified emphysema statusAnders Ørskov Rotevatn0Tomas Mikal Eagan1Solveig Tangedal2Gunnar Reksten Husebø3Kristoffer Ostridge4Rune Nielsen5Department of Thoracic Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, NorwayDepartment of Thoracic Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, NorwayDepartment of Thoracic Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, NorwayDepartment of Thoracic Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, NorwayResearch and Early Development, Respiratory &amp; Immunology, BioPharmaceuticals R&amp;D, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, SwedenDepartment of Thoracic Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, NorwayBackground and aim The association of the gut microbiota to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) phenotypes is underexplored. We aimed to compare stool samples from patients with COPD and subjects without COPD and relate findings to emphysema status, exacerbation rate, blood eosinophil levels, symptom score, and lung function.Methods We report findings from a single-centre case–control study with 62 current and former smoking patients with COPD and 49 subjects without COPD. DNA was extracted from stool samples, and the V3V4-region of the bacterial 16S-rRNA gene was sequenced. Emphysema was defined based on thoracic computed tomography (CT thorax) low attenuating areas ≥/<10% at threshold -950 and -910 hounsfield units, respectively. Differential abundance of taxa was evaluated using Analysis of Composition of Microbes with Bias Correction (ANCOM-BC). Beta diversity was compared using a distance-based permanova-test.Results The genus Veillonella was decreased and a genus belonging to class Clostridia was increased in COPD compared with controls without COPD. The composition of microbes (beta diversity) differed in emphysema compared to controls, and 27 genera were differentially abundant in emphysema vs. controls. Nine of these genera belonged to the family Lachnospiraceae. Lung function, blood counts and COPD assessment test score correlated with several genera’s relative abundance. Of the genera showing significant correlation to lung function, nine belonged to the family Lachnospiraceae.Conclusion The gut microbiota in COPD differs from that in healthy individuals, even more so in emphysema. In particular, future studies should look into the mechanisms and therapeutic potential of dysbiosis affecting the family Lachnospiraceae.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/20018525.2025.2470499MicrobiotamicrobiomeCOPDemphysemaLachnospiraceae
spellingShingle Anders Ørskov Rotevatn
Tomas Mikal Eagan
Solveig Tangedal
Gunnar Reksten Husebø
Kristoffer Ostridge
Rune Nielsen
Gut microbiota in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease varies by CT-verified emphysema status
European Clinical Respiratory Journal
Microbiota
microbiome
COPD
emphysema
Lachnospiraceae
title Gut microbiota in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease varies by CT-verified emphysema status
title_full Gut microbiota in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease varies by CT-verified emphysema status
title_fullStr Gut microbiota in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease varies by CT-verified emphysema status
title_full_unstemmed Gut microbiota in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease varies by CT-verified emphysema status
title_short Gut microbiota in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease varies by CT-verified emphysema status
title_sort gut microbiota in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease varies by ct verified emphysema status
topic Microbiota
microbiome
COPD
emphysema
Lachnospiraceae
url https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/20018525.2025.2470499
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