Gut microbiota dysbiosis tied to progression of chronic kidney disease

According to a recent original paper on Nephrology published in International Urology and Nephrology, gut microbiota dysbiosis significantly affects CKD progression. CKD patients exhibit distinct microbial profiles, indicating the potential for microbiota-based interventions to slow CKD progression.”

Gut microbiota dysbiosis significantly contributes to the development and complications of chronic kidney disease (CKD). By comprehending the intricacies of the intestinal microbiota, this research endeavor holds the potential to offer novel perspectives on strategies to mitigate CKD progression.

This study analyzed the gut microbiota composition of 44 stage 3-4 CKD patients and 132 healthy volunteers. Faecal samples were collected, and 16 s rDNA sequencing was conducted to examine the gut microbiota composition.

The key points of this study are:

• Researchers reported altered diversity of intestinal microbiota in faecal samples in stage 3–4 CKD patients.
• Among the 475 bacterial genera, 164 were shared, while 242 dominant genera were exclusive to healthya subjects and 69 to CKD stages 3–4 samples.
• Healthy volunteers had a prevalence of intestinal Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes.
• CKD patients had a higher abundance of Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria.
• The presence of uncultured Coprobacillus sp. significantly aided the distinction between the two groups.
• ROC curve analysis distinguished microbiota with high diagnostic accuracy for differentiating CKD stage 3-4 patients from healthy people.
• Metabolic dominant pathway analysis found that healthy individuals had NADH dehydrogenase pathways, while stage 3-4 CKD patients had a phosphate acetyltransferase pathway. Additionally, CKD patients had more Gram-negative bacteria and facultative anaerobes.
• CKD cohort had a higher proportion of Gram-negative bacteria and facultative anaerobes.

Von et al. and colleagues said, “Our research emphasizes the significant impact of gut microbiota imbalances on chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression. The unique microbial patterns identified in CKD patients suggest that microbiota-focused interventions could effectively slow down CKD progression.”

Reference:

Yang, X., Cai, S., Gong, J. et al. Characterization of gut microbiota in patients with stage 3–4 chronic kidney disease: a retrospective cohort study. Int Urol Nephrol (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11255-023-03893-7