Preprint Gut Microbiome Signatures During Acute Infection Predict Long COVID, 2024, Comba et al.

[SNT Gatchaman]

Gut Microbiome Signatures During Acute Infection Predict Long COVID
Isin Yagmur Comba; Ruben T Mars; Lu Yang; Mitchell Dumais; Jun Y Chen; Trena M Van Gorp; Jonathan J. Harrington; Jason Paul Sinnwell; Stephen Johnson; La Rinda Holland; Adam K Khan; Efrem Lim; Christopher Aakre; Arjun Athreya; Georg K Gerber; John C. O'Horo; Konstantinos Lazaridis; Purna C Kashyap

Long COVID (LC), manifests in 10-30% of non-hospitalized individuals post-SARS-CoV-2 infection leading to significant morbidity. The predictive role of gut microbiome composition during acute infection in the development of LC is not well understood, partly due to the heterogeneous nature of disease.

We conducted a longitudinal study of 799 outpatients tested for SARS-CoV-2 (380 positive, 419 negative) and found that individuals who later developed LC harbored distinct gut microbiome compositions during acute infection, compared with both SARS-CoV-positive individuals who did not develop LC and negative controls with similar symptomatology. However, the temporal changes in gut microbiome composition between the infectious (0-1 month) and post-infectious (1-2 months) phases was not different between study groups.

Using machine learning, we showed that microbiome composition alone more accurately predicted LC than clinical variables. Including clinical data only marginally enhanced this prediction, suggesting that microbiome profiles during acute infection may reflect underlying health status and immune responses thus, help predicting individuals at risk for LC. Finally, we identified four LC symptom clusters, with gastrointestinal and fatigue-only groups most strongly linked to gut microbiome alterations.


Link | PDF (Preprint: BioRxiv) [Open Access]

 

[Creekside]

individuals who later developed LC harbored distinct gut microbiome compositions during acute infection, compared with both SARS-CoV-positive individuals who did not develop LC

They said "with similar symptomatology", but how similar? Maybe the similarity is only due to how the questionnaire about symptoms is worded?

suggesting that microbiome profiles during acute infection may reflect underlying health status and immune responses thus,

This I agree with. Maybe the ignored non-similarities are actually important in decisions about how much of what to eat when, what rest or activity is done during the digestion phase, how the gut is affected by moods, and other such factors that might influence the gut microbiome.

A desire for chicken soup might correlate well with a diagnosis of developing a cold virus. Is chicken soup helpful for the microbiome, or is the important factor the memory of mom making you chicken soup "to make you feel better"?

Assuming this study's findings are valid, I wonder whether you could measure the severity of a disease or injury by microbiome changes, and predict who should get higher doses of a drug to improve recovery. Also, if antibiotics are necessary, maybe they can be tailored in type and dosage to minimize harm.