{"id":9401,"date":"2023-03-27T12:12:18","date_gmt":"2023-03-27T17:12:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/internationalprobiotics.org\/?p=9401"},"modified":"2023-03-27T12:44:01","modified_gmt":"2023-03-27T17:44:01","slug":"covid-19-and-microbiome","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/internationalprobiotics.org\/home\/covid-19-and-microbiome\/","title":{"rendered":"COVID-19 and the Microbiome: What Have We Learned?<\/strong>"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As of early March 2023, the global health impact of SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, has been devastating, resulting in a reported 6,866,434 deaths<\/a> worldwide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the past three years, researchers have found strong evidence of the involvement of the gut and lung microbiomes in the development and progression of COVID-19 in patients. Dysbiosis has been shown to increase susceptibility to the disease and affect symptoms and outcomes. Addressing this imbalance with prebiotics and probiotics is an area of promising research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This blog provides a brief overview of the latest findings on the complex etiology of SARS-CoV-2 infection (only as it pertains to gut and lung microbiota), mechanisms of action, as well as potential therapeutic interventions to improve the course of this dangerous viral infection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

COVID-19, a capsule<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

SARS-CoV-2 primarily invades the respiratory tract<\/a>, where it binds with angiotensin 2 converting enzyme (ACE2) receptors on the lungs’ alveoli. Gastrointestinal tract symptoms<\/a>, such as diarrhea and vomiting, have been observed in many cases, suggesting a role for the gut-lung axis in the disease. Elderly individuals and those with comorbidities<\/a> such as hypertension and metabolic disease are more likely to experience severe symptoms and poor outcomes. Both of these cohorts are associated with an altered gut microbiota suggesting that dysbiosis influences COVID-19 severity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

COVID-19 and gut microbiota<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Among many other roles<\/a>, the gut microbiome acts as a key regulator of immunity and host defense mechanisms<\/a>. Recent research suggests that disruption of the homeostasis<\/a> between the gut microbiota and the host immune system can lead to immune dysfunction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Communication along the gut-lung axis reflects the dysfunction. Accumulating evidence supports the importance of this bidirectional path<\/a> between gut dysbiosis and inflammatory conditions in the lungs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a 2023 systematic review<\/a> of 63 studies, researchers reported that the gut microbiota of COVID-19 patients was different when compared to healthy individuals: the former had fewer beneficial bacteria and more opportunistic pathogens. Notably, gut dysbiosis was observed in nearly all the studies. Moreover, gut dysbiosis in one study<\/a> was observed to persist up to 6 months after clearance of COVID\u201019 in some patients. Patients without post-acute COVID-19 syndrome showed a recovered gut microbiome profile at 6 months. Additionally, several studies in the review<\/a> reported that gut microbiota composition can be a predictive factor in the severity of COVID\u201019 disease. The reviewers wrote, \u201cFurther research is needed to investigate the probable bidirectional association of COVID\u201019 and human microbiome.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nevertheless, many factors, such as \u201csex, age, basic health status, medication use, genetics, ethnicity, and geographic location, can affect the composition of the gut microbiota and lead to individual differences and varying responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection,\u201d according to another review<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Covid and URT Microbiota<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The immune function of the lungs and its performance against assaults such as COVID-19 respiratory is impacted by the microbiota<\/a> inhabiting URT (including nasopharyngeal, oropharyngeal, and respiratory tract).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, in a study with moderate and severe COVID patients, pro-inflammatory bacteria in URT were higher in comparison<\/a> to healthy individuals. These alterations were correlated<\/a> with higher levels of pro-inflammatory cytokine (cell-signaling protein) levels, which can lead to a cytokine storm, an uncontrolled release that can cause multisystem organ failure and death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A healthy URT microbiota has been proposed<\/a> to be an early biomarker of favorable clinical progression in hospitalized COVID-19 patients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00a0Mechanisms<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Beneficial microbes may protect hosts from viral infections by a number of direct and indirect mechanisms*<\/a>:  <\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n