The clinical significance of gut microbiota of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with functional abdominal bloating and distension
Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Background Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a disease with high morbidity and mortality. Functional abdominal bloating/distension (FABD), a functional gastrointestinal disorder characterized by recurrent sensations of abdominal fullness and/or visible abdominal distension without identifiable organic causes. FABD mainly impairs gastrointestinal functions—particularly intestinal transit and gas handling—rather than pulmonary function. This study characterized fecal microbiota in COPD patients with FABD to identify precision medicine biomarkers. Methods Fecal samples from 20 COPD & FABD, 20 COPD, and 10 healthy controls (HC) were analyzed via metagenomic analysis. Gut microbiota diversity/composition were compared, and immune parameters (serum IgG, CD4+/CD8+ T cells) were assessed. Results COPD/COPD & FABD patients showed significantly higher fecal microbiota α-diversity (COPD vs . HC: Chao1, P = 0.12; ACE, P = 0.14; Shannon, P = 0.0016; Simpson, P = 0.0013; COPD & FABD vs . HC: Chao1, P = 0.031; ACE, P = 0.031; Shannon, P = 0.00032; Simpson, P = 0.0005) vs . HC. β-Diversity analyses (PCA/PCoA) revealed distinct clustering between patients and HC (PCA, P = 0.014; PCoA, P = 0.013), but no separation between COPD and COPD & FABD ( P > 0.05). Linear discriminant analysis (LEfSe) identified 50 discriminative biomarkers: 41 enriched in HC ( Bacteroides uniformis ), five in COPD & FABD (Bacilli, Enterococcus faecium ), and four in COPD ( Streptococcus parasanguinis ). Notably, Enterococcus faecium was highly abundant in patients (22.04–26.92%) but absent in HC, suggesting a potential association with the COPD-FABD condition. Random forest models showed moderate diagnostic accuracy for all microbes (AUC = 0.632) and strong performance for fungal biomarkers ( Clostridium fessum, Clostridioides difficile ; AUC = 0.856). Conclusion Gut microbiota signatures, particularly Enterococcus faecium and fungal taxa, may serve as non-invasive biomarkers for COPD progression and FABD diagnosis, warranting clinical validation.
Source: PeerJ
DOI: 10.7717/peerj.20526
Authors: Xiaowei Lu, Haiyun Dai, Xiang Gu, Jing Xie, Xianhong Zhong, Xiaofen Dong, Bing Su, Jia Su, Linlin Wang, Tingting Sun, Lihui Geng
Language: English
Topic: Gut microbiota and health
Subfield: Molecular Biology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,395
OpenAlex ID: W4417452225