Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40169991›Full record

Observational studyBMC infectious diseases2025

Changes in gut microbiome following anti-tuberculosis treatment: a prospective cohort from eastern China.

Simin Zhang, Zhipeng Xu, Zhan Wang, Xinru Fei, Zhongqi Li, Limei Zhu, Leonardo Martinez, Jianming Wang, Qiao Liu

Abstract readObservational StudyMulticenter Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in BMC infectious diseases, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–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

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. Review
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

9 authors.

Simin Zhang *Department of Epidemiology, Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety and Emergency Prevention and Control Technology of Higher Education Institutions in Jiangsu Province, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, PR China.
Zhipeng Xu *Department of Pathogen Biology, National Vaccine Innovation Platform, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, PR China.
Zhan WangDepartment of Epidemiology, Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety and Emergency Prevention and Control Technology of Higher Education Institutions in Jiangsu Province, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, PR China.
Xinru FeiDepartment of Epidemiology, Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety and Emergency Prevention and Control Technology of Higher Education Institutions in Jiangsu Province, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, PR China.
Zhongqi LiDepartment of Chronic Communicable Disease, Center for Disease Control and Prevention of Jiangsu Province, Nanjing, PR China.
Limei ZhuDepartment of Chronic Communicable Disease, Center for Disease Control and Prevention of Jiangsu Province, Nanjing, PR China.
Leonardo MartinezDepartment of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA.
Jianming WangDepartment of Epidemiology, Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety and Emergency Prevention and Control Technology of Higher Education Institutions in Jiangsu Province, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, PR China. jmwang@njmu.edu.cn.
Qiao LiuDepartment of Epidemiology, Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety and Emergency Prevention and Control Technology of Higher Education Institutions in Jiangsu Province, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, PR China. liuqiaonjmu@163.com.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe treatment of people with tuberculosis necessitates the administration of both broad-spectrum and narrow-spectrum antibiotics for a minimum duration of six months. Prolonged antibiotic therapy may result in dysregulation of the gut microbiota, potentially influencing the onset and progression of tuberculosis. There is a paucity of studies focus on the characteristics of gut microbiota changes at various time points during tuberculosis treatment. This study aims to elucidate the relationship between the composition of gut microbiota and their stage within anti-tuberculosis therapy.

methodsA multi-center, observational prospective cohort study was conducted at four designated hospitals in Jiangsu Province in eastern China. The Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale was employed to evaluate the gastrointestinal discomfort experienced during anti-tuberculosis treatment. Fecal samples were collected at baseline before initiating anti-tuberculosis therapy and at the end of 2 months and 6 months during treatment. Total microbial genomic DNA was extracted and sequenced. Rarefaction curves and alpha diversity indices including observed operational taxonomic units, Chao1 richness and Shannon index were calculated.

resultsFrom October 2020 to December 2022, a total of 204 people with tuberculosis were diagnosed. Among these, 85 people with tuberculosis provided baseline, 2-month, and 6-month fecal samples. The average age was 41.8 ± 15.193 years, with a gender ratio of 77 males to 8 females. Only 28.2% of the cohort reported being free of gastrointestinal symptoms during anti-tuberculosis treatment. Anti-tuberculosis treatment significantly reduced gut microbiota diversity, with a transient decrease in alpha diversity indices observed after two months. A higher alpha diversity in baseline (Shannon index with mean ± standard deviation (SD) 2.92 ± 0.93 vs. 2.50 ± 0.84, P = 0.0014, inverse Simpson's index with 11.9 ± 8.66 vs. 7.87 ± 6.42, P = 0.0012), compared with people with tuberculosis after 2 months of treatment. No significant differences were identified between 2 months of treatment and at the end of treatment microbiota diversity (Shannon index 2.50 ± 0.84 vs 2.58 ± 0.81, P = 0.55, inverse Simpson's index 7.87 ± 6.42 vs 11.90 ± 8.66, P = 0.43).

conclusionsFindings from our study show that anti-tuberculosis treatment has profound effects on people with tuberculosis gastrointestinal function and the gut microbiota, particularly during the intensive phase of therapy. After the intensive treatment phase, the gut microbiota has partially recovered, but it is an extremely slow process.

Indexed as

Antitubercular AgentsGastrointestinal MicrobiomeTuberculosisAdultBacteriaChinaFecesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedProspective StudiesYoung AdultAntitubercular AgentsAnti-tuberculosis treatmentDiversityDysbiosisGut MicrobiomeTuberculosis

Identifiers

PMID40169991
PMCPMC11963514

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

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.