Abstract: SA-OR103
Characteristics and Dysbiosis of the Gut Microbiome in Renal Transplant Recipients
Session Information
- Transplantation: Approaches to Improve Post-Transplant Outcomes
November 09, 2019 | Location: 151, Walter E. Washington Convention Center
Abstract Time: 05:30 PM - 05:42 PM
Category: Transplantation
- 1902 Transplantation: Clinical
Authors
- Swarte, J.c., University Medical Centre Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
- Douwes, Rianne M., University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands, Groningen, Netherlands
- Eisenga, Michele F., University Medical Centre Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
- van Londen, Marco, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
- Gomes Neto, Antonio Wouter, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
- Weersma, Rinse, University Medical Centre Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
- Harmsen, Hermie, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
- Bakker, Stephan J.L., University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
Background
Renal transplantation is life-changing in many aspects. This most likely also includes the gut microbiome, particularly because of the inevitable exposure to immunosuppressive drugs and antibiotics. As a consequence, Transplantation patients frequently suffer from intestinal dysbiosis. We aimed to investigate the gut microbiome of renal transplant recipients (RTR) and compare it with healthy controls.
Methods
We included 110 RTR and 79 healthy renal donors participating in the TransplantLines Biobank and Cohort Study (NCT03272841). We analyzed the gut microbiome using 16s rRNA sequencing and compared the composition of the gut microbiome of RTR with healthy renal donors using the Mann Whitney U-test with false discovery rate correction. Linear discriminant effect size (LEfSe) and multivariate association with linear models (MaAsLin) were used to study the relationship between the gut microbiome and the occurrence of diarrhea and the use of medication.
Results
Fecal samples of 110 RTR (38.3% female, mean age: 54.6 ± 12.0 years) and 79 healthy renal donors (34.0% female, age: 59.6 ± 11.0 years) were collected. Median time after transplantation of RTR was 1.08 [2.0-13.0] years., with a range of 1 to 26.4 years. Microbiome composition of RTR was significantly different from that of healthy donors (P=0.001). RTR had a lower diversity of the gut microbiome (P<0.001). Significantly higher levels of Proteobacteriae, Enterobacteriaceae, Streptococcus and E. coli were found in RTR (P<0.05). The levels of commensal, butyrate producing bacteria, including Clostridium spp., Eubacterium spp., Coprococcus spp. and Gemmiger formicilis were significantly lower in RTR (P<0.05). The microbiome of RTR with diarrhea contained lower levels of Ruminococcaceae and higher levels of Actinobacteria (P<0.05).
Conclusion
This study shows the gut microbiome of RTR is significantly different from the gut microbiome of healthy renal donors. RTR suffer from dysbiosis characterized by a loss of diversity and there is a preponderance towards lower levels of butyrate producing species, which may have detrimental effects on gut health in RTR.