The relationship between gut and nasopharyngeal microbiome composition can predict the severity of COVID-19

Martin-Castano, B.; Diez-Echave, P.; Garcia-Garcia, J.; Hidalgo-Garcia, L.; Ruiz-Malagon, A. J.; Molina-Tijeras, J. A.; Rodriguez-Sojo, M. J.; Redruello-Romero, A.; Martinez-Zaldivar, M.; Mota, E.; Cobo, F.; Diaz-Villamarin, X.; Fernandez-Varon, E.; Alvarez-Estevez, M.; Garcia, F.; Morales-Garcia, C.; Merlos, S.; Garcia-Flores, P.; Colmenero-Ruiz, M.; Ruiz-Sancho, A.; Nunez, M.; Rodriguez-Cabezas, M. E.; Carazo, A.; Martin, J.; Moron, R.; Rodriguez, A.; Galvez, J.

doi:10.1101/2024.01.11.575201

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bioRxiv · 10.1101/2024.01.11.575201

The relationship between gut and nasopharyngeal microbiome composition can predict the severity of COVID-19

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Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a respiratory illness caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that displays great variability in clinical phenotype. Many factors have been described to be correlated with its severity, and microbiota could play a key role in the infection, progression, and outcome of the disease. SARS-CoV-2 infection has been associated with nasopharyngeal and gut dysbiosis and higher abundance of opportunistic pathogens. To identify new prognostic markers for the disease, a multicenter prospective observational cohort study was carried out in COVID-19 patients divided into three cohorts based on symptomatology: mild (n=24), moderate (n=51), and severe/critical (n=31). Faecal and nasopharyngeal samples were taken, and the microbiota was analyzed. Linear discriminant analysis identified M. salivarium, P. dentalis, and H. parainfluenzae as biomarkers of severe COVID-19 in nasopharyngeal microbiota, while P. bivia and P. timonensis were defined in faecal microbiota. Additionally, a connection between faecal and nasopharyngeal microbiota was identified, with a significant ratio between P. timonensis (faeces) and P. dentalis and M. salivarium (nasopharyngeal) abundances found in critically ill patients. This ratio could serve as a novel prognostic tool for identifying severe COVID-19 cases.

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Martin-Castano, B., Diez-Echave, P., Garcia-Garcia, J., Hidalgo-Garcia, L., Ruiz-Malagon, A. J., Molina-Tijeras, J. A., Rodriguez-Sojo, M. J., Redruello-Romero, A., Martinez-Zaldivar, M., Mota, E., Cobo, F., Diaz-Villamarin, X., Fernandez-Varon, E., Alvarez-Estevez, M., Garcia, F., Morales-Garcia, C., Merlos, S., Garcia-Flores, P., Colmenero-Ruiz, M., Ruiz-Sancho, A., Nunez, M., Rodriguez-Cabezas, M. E., Carazo, A., Martin, J., Moron, R., Rodriguez, A., Galvez, J.. 2024-01-13. The relationship between gut and nasopharyngeal microbiome composition can predict the severity of COVID-19. https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.01.11.575201

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