Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34716338›Full record

ArticleNature communications2021

Clinical practices underlie COVID-19 patient respiratory microbiome composition and its interactions with the host.

Verónica Lloréns-Rico, Ann C Gregory, Johan Van Weyenbergh, Sander Jansen, Tina Van Buyten, Junbin Qian, Marcos Braz, Soraya Maria Menezes, Pierre Van Mol, Lore Vanderbeke and 10 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 55 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
55citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

55 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

20 authors.

Verónica Lloréns-RicoLaboratory of Molecular Bacteriology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Rega Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.ORCID 0000-0002-0860-5990
Ann C GregoryLaboratory of Molecular Bacteriology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Rega Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Johan Van WeyenberghLaboratory for Clinical and Evolutionary Virology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Rega Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Sander JansenLaboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.ORCID 0000-0002-9344-131X
Tina Van BuytenLaboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Junbin QianZhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Therapy for Major Gynecological Diseases, Women's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.ORCID 0000-0003-1483-1836
Marcos BrazLaboratory for Clinical and Evolutionary Virology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Rega Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Soraya Maria MenezesLaboratory for Clinical and Evolutionary Virology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Rega Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Pierre Van MolLaboratory of Translational Genetics, Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.ORCID 0000-0003-1314-9413
Lore VanderbekeLaboratory of Clinical Bacteriology and Mycology, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.ORCID 0000-0002-3364-1213
Christophe DoomsDepartment of Pneumology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Jan GunstLaboratory of Intensive Care Medicine, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.ORCID 0000-0003-2470-6393
Greet HermansLaboratory of Intensive Care Medicine, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Philippe MeerssemanLaboratory for Clinical Infectious and Inflammatory Disorders, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
CONTAGIOUS collaborators
Els WautersDepartment of Pneumology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Johan NeytsLaboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.ORCID 0000-0002-0033-7514
Diether LambrechtsLaboratory of Translational Genetics, Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.ORCID 0000-0002-3429-302X
Joost Wauters *Laboratory for Clinical Infectious and Inflammatory Disorders, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Jeroen Raes *Laboratory of Molecular Bacteriology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Rega Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. jeroen.raes@kuleuven.vib.be.ORCID 0000-0002-1337-041X

Funding

European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) ALTF 349-2019Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (Research Foundation Flanders) 12V9421N
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Understanding the pathology of COVID-19 is a global research priority. Early evidence suggests that the respiratory microbiome may be playing a role in disease progression, yet current studies report contradictory results. Here, we examine potential confounders in COVID-19 respiratory microbiome studies by analyzing the upper (n = 58) and lower (n = 35) respiratory tract microbiome in well-phenotyped COVID-19 patients and controls combining microbiome sequencing, viral load determination, and immunoprofiling. We find that time in the intensive care unit and type of oxygen support, as well as associated treatments such as antibiotic usage, explain the most variation within the upper respiratory tract microbiome, while SARS-CoV-2 viral load has a reduced impact. Specifically, mechanical ventilation is linked to altered community structure and significant shifts in oral taxa previously associated with COVID-19. Single-cell transcriptomics of the lower respiratory tract of COVID-19 patients identifies specific oral bacteria in physical association with proinflammatory immune cells, which show higher levels of inflammatory markers. Overall, our findings suggest confounders are driving contradictory results in current COVID-19 microbiome studies and careful attention needs to be paid to ICU stay and type of oxygen support, as bacteria favored in these conditions may contribute to the inflammatory phenotypes observed in severe COVID-19 patients.

Indexed as

COVID-19Gastrointestinal MicrobiomeHumansMicrobiotaSARS-CoV-2Transcriptome

Identifiers

PMID34716338
PMCPMC8556379

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.