Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41430301›Full record

ArticleRespiratory research2025

Prospective association between the gut microbiota and incident pneumonia: a cohort study of 6419 individuals.

Irina Wikki, Joonatan Palmu, Anni Kauko, Aki Havulinna, Pekka Jousilahti, Leo Lahti, Rob Knight, Veikko Salomaa, Teemu Niiranen

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Respiratory research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing 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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
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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

9 authors.

Irina WikkiDepartment of Internal Medicine, University of Turku, P.O. Box 52, Turku, FI-20521, Finland. irina.wikki@varha.fi.
Joonatan PalmuDepartment of Internal Medicine, University of Turku, P.O. Box 52, Turku, FI-20521, Finland.
Anni KaukoDepartment of Internal Medicine, University of Turku, P.O. Box 52, Turku, FI-20521, Finland.
Aki HavulinnaDepartment of Computing, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
Pekka JousilahtiDepartment of Public Health, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland.
Leo LahtiDepartment of Computing, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
Rob KnightDepartment of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, USA.
Veikko SalomaaDepartment of Internal Medicine, University of Turku, P.O. Box 52, Turku, FI-20521, Finland.
Teemu NiiranenDepartment of Internal Medicine, University of Turku, P.O. Box 52, Turku, FI-20521, Finland.

Funding

Research Council of Finland 321351, 354447Research Council of Finland 330887
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPrevious animal studies have identified the protective capacity of the gut microbiota against respiratory infections. Nevertheless, the prospective association between human gut microbiota and pneumonia risk remains unknown.

objectivesTo evaluate the links between gut microbiota and incident pneumonia in a representative population sample.

methodsWe performed shotgun metagenome sequencing on stool samples from 6419 FINRISK 2002 participants. Participants were followed up for incident pneumonia using nationwide health register data. We employed multivariable-adjusted Cox regression models and permutational multivariate analysis of variance (PERMANOVA) to assess the association of gut microbiome alpha diversity, compositional variation (beta diversity), and taxonomic composition with pneumonia risk.

resultsAltogether, 685 patients (10.7%) developed pneumonia during a mean follow-up of 17.8 years. Alpha diversity was not associated with incident pneumonia (hazard ratio [HR] 1.00; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.93 - 1.08), whereas community composition was (PERMANOVA R

conclusionsThe gut microbiota composition, and especially the relative abundance of butyrate-producing bacteria, was associated with lower pneumonia risk in the population. These findings warrant further studies to investigate whether microbiome modulation to increase short chain fatty acid production through diet, prebiotics, or probiotics could reduce pneumonia risk.

Indexed as

Gastrointestinal MicrobiomePneumoniaAdultAgedCohort StudiesFecesFemaleFollow-Up StudiesHumansIncidenceMaleMiddle AgedProspective StudiesRisk FactorsButyrateIncidenceMicrobiota-host interactionsPneumoniaProspective studies

Identifiers

PMID41430301
PMCPMC12751896

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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.