Genotype-associated changes in the composition of intestinal microbiota in patients with chronic hepatitis C: an age-and-sex-adjusted analysis

Objective. Comparative analysis the composition of the intestinal microbiota in patients with chronic HCV infection, infected with genotypes 1 and 3, taking into account age- and sex-adjusted characteristics.

Materials and methods. A single-center, cross-sectional clinical study including 119 patients with chronic hepatitis C was conducted. Gut microbial diversity was determined using 16S rRNA metagenomic sequencing. High-throughput sequencing was performed using the MiSeq genetic analyzer (Illumina, USA) using a protocol based on the analysis of variable regions of the 16S rRNA gene. Data were analyzed using Kraken2.

Results. In patients with HCV genotype 1, an increase in the number of such taxa as Helicobacter (padj <  0.001), Shewanella (padj = 0.101), Terribacillus (padj <  0.001), Providencia (padj = 0.050), Coprobacter (padj <  0.001), Duodenibacillus (padj = 0.044), Paraclostridium (padj = 0.008), Monoglobus (padj <  0.001), etc. was noted. And in patients with HCV genotype 3 - Yersinia (padj = 0.003), Citrobacter (padj = 0.010), Brevibacterium (padj = 0.001), Latilactobacillus (padj <  0.001), Butyrivibrio (padj = 0.085), Bombilactobacillus (padj <  0.001), etc.

Conclusion. Infection with HCV genotype 1 was associated with a metabolic imbalance with an increase in the abundance of opportunistic microorganisms, sulfate-reducing bacteria (Nitratidesulfovibrio (padj = 0.014), and bacteria involved in bile acid metabolism (Gordonibacter (padj = 0.112)). Patients with genotype 3 exhibit a mixed picture: an increase in the abundance of potential pathogens and a maintained presence of beneficial bacteria.