Rectal microbiota are coupled with altered cytokine production capacity following community-acquired pneumonia hospitalization
Robert F.J. Kullberg,
Xanthe Brands,
Augustijn M. Klarenbeek,
Joe M. Butler,
Natasja A. Otto,
Daniël R. Faber,
Brendon P. Scicluna,
Tom van der Poll,
W. Joost Wiersinga,
Bastiaan W. Haak
Affiliations
Robert F.J. Kullberg
Center for Experimental and Molecular Medicine (CEMM), Amsterdam University Medical Centers - Location AMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Corresponding author
Xanthe Brands
Center for Experimental and Molecular Medicine (CEMM), Amsterdam University Medical Centers - Location AMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Augustijn M. Klarenbeek
Center for Experimental and Molecular Medicine (CEMM), Amsterdam University Medical Centers - Location AMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Joe M. Butler
Center for Experimental and Molecular Medicine (CEMM), Amsterdam University Medical Centers - Location AMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Natasja A. Otto
Center for Experimental and Molecular Medicine (CEMM), Amsterdam University Medical Centers - Location AMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Daniël R. Faber
Department of Internal Medicine, BovenIJ Hospital, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Brendon P. Scicluna
Center for Experimental and Molecular Medicine (CEMM), Amsterdam University Medical Centers - Location AMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Applied Biomedical Science, Faculty of Health Sciences, Mater Dei Hospital, University of Malta, Malta; Centre for Molecular Medicine and Biobanking, University of Malta, Malta
Tom van der Poll
Center for Experimental and Molecular Medicine (CEMM), Amsterdam University Medical Centers - Location AMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Division of Infectious Diseases, Amsterdam University Medical Centers - Location AMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
W. Joost Wiersinga
Center for Experimental and Molecular Medicine (CEMM), Amsterdam University Medical Centers - Location AMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Division of Infectious Diseases, Amsterdam University Medical Centers - Location AMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Bastiaan W. Haak
Center for Experimental and Molecular Medicine (CEMM), Amsterdam University Medical Centers - Location AMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Summary: Human studies describing the immunomodulatory role of the intestinal microbiota in systemic infections are lacking. Here, we sought to relate microbiota profiles from 115 patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), both on hospital admission and following discharge, to concurrent circulating monocyte and neutrophil function. Rectal microbiota composition did not explain variation in cytokine responses in acute CAP (median 0%, IQR 0.0%–1.9%), but did one month following hospitalization (median 4.1%, IQR 0.0%–6.6%, p = 0.0035). Gene expression analysis of monocytes showed that undisrupted microbiota profiles following hospitalization were associated with upregulated interferon, interleukin-10, and G-protein-coupled-receptor-ligand-binding pathways. While CAP is characterized by profoundly distorted gut microbiota, the effects of these disruptions on cytokine responses and transcriptional profiles during acute infection were absent or modest. However, rectal microbiota were related to altered cytokine responses one month following CAP hospitalization, which may provide insights into potential mechanisms contributing to the high risk of recurrent infections following hospitalization.
