The gut microbiome and metabolome in kidney transplant recipients with normal and moderately decreased kidney function

Abstract

Background

The kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) were diagnosed with Chronic Kidney Disease after transplantation (CKD-T). CKD-T can be affected by the microbial composition and metabolites. The present study integrates the analysis of gut microbiome and metabolites to further identify the characteristics of CKD-T.

Methods

We collected 100 fecal samples of KTRs and divided them into two groups according to the stage progression of CKD-T. Among them, 55 samples were analyzed by Hiseq sequencing, and 100 samples were used for non-targeted metabolomics analysis. The gut microbiome and metabolomics of KTRs were comprehensively characterized.

Results

As well as significant differences in gut microbiome diversity between the CKD G1-2T group and CKD G3T group. Eight flora including Akkermansia were found to be enriched in CKD G3T group. As compared with CKD G1-2T group, the relative abundance of some amino acid metabolism, glycerophospholipid metabolism, amino acid biosynthesis, carbohydrate metabolism and purine metabolism in CKD G3T group were differential expressed significantly. In addition, fecal metabolome analysis indicated that CKD G3T group had a unique metabolite distribution characteristic. Two differentially expressed metabolites, N-acetylornithine and 5-deoxy-5'-(Methylthio) Adenosine, were highly correlated with serum creatinine, eGFR and cystatin C. The enrichment of gut microbial function in CKD-T is correlated with the expression of gut metabolites.

Conclusion

Gut microbiome and metabolites in the progression of CKD-T display some unique distribution and expression characteristics. The composition of the gut microbiome and their metabolites appears to be different between patients with CKD G3T and those with CKD G1-2T.

Keywords:

• Chronic kidney disease after transplantation
• kidney transplantation
• gut microbiome
• metabolites

Acknowledgments

The authors thank the staff and all the patients who participated in the study.

Ethical approval

Our study has been approved by the Ethics Committee of Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital (Ethical Approval No. 2021314) and was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

Source data for information presented in this study are available from the corresponding authors on reasonable request.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Science and Technology Department of Sichuan Province [2020JDJQ0066], China and Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital [2020LZ03], China, the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities [ZYGX2021YGLH210], China and Chengdu Science and Technology Bureau [2022-YF09-00032-SN], China.