The impact of metabolic syndrome on the taxonomic composition of the respiratory tract microbiome in patients with pneumococcal pneumonia

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Abstract

Objective. Evaluation of the composition of the sputum microbiome in patients with pneumococcal pneumonia depending on the prevalence of metabolic syndrome components.

Materials and methods. A total of 38 patients with pneumococcal pneumonia were examined, stratified into three groups according to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) metabolic syndrome criteria: Group A (n = 17): abdominal obesity + type 2 diabetes mellitus + arterial hypertension + hypertriglyceridemia; Group B (n = 12): abdominal obesity + type 2 diabetes mellitus + low high-density lipoprotein levels; Group C (n = 9): abdominal obesity + arterial hypertension + hypertriglyceridemia. Streptococcus pneumoniae was identified by culture and MALDI-TOF MS; taxonomic analysis was performed by 16S rRNA sequencing.

Results. The highest bacterial load of S. pneumoniae and the slowest elimination during therapy were observed in Group A (7.2 × 10⁶ CFU/ml) and Group B (5.8 × 10⁶ CFU/ml). The microbiota of patients in Groups A and B was characterized by pronounced dysbiosis with a predominance of Streptococcus (49.1 ± 2.4%) and a combined increase in opportunistic pathogens (Haemophilus, Klebsiella), while in Group C, commensal taxa (Prevotella, Veillonella) predominated. The dysbiosis index was highest in Group A (3,8 ± 0.3) and lowest in Group C (0,6 ± 0,1) (p < 0.001).

Conclusion. Severe respiratory dysbiosis was recorded in patients with metabolic syndrome, an essential component of which was type 2 diabetes mellitus.

 

About the authors

Valeria A. Starikova

Samara State Medical University

Author for correspondence.
Email: v.a.starikova@samsmu.ru
ORCID iD: 0009-0006-5483-1784

Assistant Professor, Department of Infectious Diseases and Epidemiology

 

Russian Federation, Samara

Dmitry Yu. Konstantinov

Samara State Medical University

Email: d.u.konstantinov@samsmu.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-6177-8487

MD, Head, Department of Infectious Diseases and Epidemiology

 

Russian Federation, Samara

Tatyana V. Konnova

Samara State Medical University

Email: t.v.konnova@samsmu.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0003-2425-6732

Cand. Med. Sci., Associate Professor, Department of Infectious Diseases and Epidemiology

 

Russian Federation, Samara

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