Antibiotics and probiotics impact gut antimicrobial resistance gene reservoir in COVID-19 patients. (31st December 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Su, Qi; Liu, Qin; Zhang, Lin; Xu, Zhilu; Liu, Chenyu; Lu, Wenqi; Ching, Jessica YL; Li, Amy; Mak, Joyce Wing Yan; Lui, Grace Chung Yan; Ng, Susanna So Shan; Chow, Kai Ming; Hui, David SC; Chan, Paul KS; Chan, Francis Ka Leung; Ng, Siew C
• Is Part Of: Gut microbes. Volume 14:Isuse 1(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-12-31
• Subjects: COVID-19 -- gut microbiome -- antimicrobial resistance gene -- synbiotic formula -- SIM01; Gastrointestinal system -- Microbiology -- Periodicals; Microbiology -- Periodicals; Intestine, Small -- Periodicals; 616.3
• DOI: 10.1080/19490976.2022.2128603
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1949-0984

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Dysbiosis of gut microbiota is well-described in patients with coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19), but the dynamics of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) reservoir, known as resistome, is less known. Here, we performed longitudinal fecal metagenomic profiling of 142 patients with COVID-19, characterized the dynamics of resistome from diagnosis to 6 months after viral clearance, and reported the impact of antibiotics or probiotics on the ARGs reservoir. Antibiotic-naive patients with COVID-19 showed increased abundance and types, and higher prevalence of ARGs compared with non-COVID-19 controls at baseline. Expansion in resistome was mainly driven by tetracycline, vancomycin, and multidrug-resistant genes and persisted for at least 6 months after clearance of SARS-CoV-2. Patients with expanded resistome exhibited increased prevalence of Klebsiella sp. and post-acute COVID-19 syndrome. Antibiotic treatment resulted in further increased abundance of ARGs whilst oral probiotics (synbiotic formula, SIM01) significantly reduced the ARGs reservoir in the gut microbiota of COVID-19 patients during the acute infection and recovery phase. Collectively, these findings shed new insights on the dynamic of ARGs reservoir in COVID-19 patients and the potential role of microbiota-directed therapies in reducing the burden of accumulated ARGs.