Changes in the distal esophageal microbiota in Chinese patients with reflux esophagitis

Abstract

Objective Changes in microbiota composition in the distal esophagus may be associated with the pathogenesis of gastroesophageal reflux disease. We aimed to compare the composition of distal esophageal microbiota between Chinese patients with reflux esophagitis (RE) and healthy volunteers using metagenomic high‐throughput DNA sequencing and bioinformatic analyses. Methods Healthy volunteers (controls) and patients with reflux esophagitis (RE) were enrolled. Distal esophageal (2 cm above the gastroesophageal junction) biopsy specimens were obtained under endoscopy. Microbial DNA was extracted from the specimens, followed by 16S rDNA gene amplification and Illumina sequencing. Bioinformatic tools were applied to dissect the community structure. Results No dramatic differences in microbiota were found in RE patients compared with the controls. At the phylum level, only Bacteroidetes differed between the groups, being less abundant in the RE group. The overall number and diversity of species tended to be lower in RE patients, but there were no significant differences between the groups. Three genera, Prevotella, Helicobacter, and Moraxella, were obviously depleted in RE patients, as revealed by linear discriminant analysis. Conclusions The composition of distal esophageal microbiota in Chinese patients with RE showed moderate changes compared with healthy controls. To what extent these changes are associated with the pathogenesis of RE needs further investigation.

Patients With Reflux Esophagitis Possess a Possible Different Oral Microbiota Compared With Healthy Controls

“…Because of reflux the difference in esophageal microecology has been reported, which may associate with persistent and progressive esophageal diseases. Recently there was one report on changes at the genera level, suggesting the dysbiosis Prevotella, Helicobacter, and Moraxella in the distal esophageal RE patients (Yu et al, 2019). Both esophagus and oral cavity is injured during the progression of reflux, so the oral microbiota may be changed in RE patients.…”

Salivary microbiome with gastroesophageal reflux disease and treatment

“…Principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) of saliva microbiome profiles of (c) all 3 groups; (d) negative controls versus GERD patient not using PPI; and (e) negative controls versus GERD patients using PPI reveal some differences in microbiota community structure in the GERD group not using PPI. www.nature.com/scientificreports/ not 11,12,[38][39][40] . Less attention has been paid to how PPI usage affects the oral or esophageal microbiota in GERD patients.…”

The esophageal mucosal barrier in health and disease: mucosal pathophysiology and protective mechanisms

“…84 Esophageal diseases, including GERD, BE, esophageal cancer, and EoE, influence the esophageal microbiome. [81][82][83][84][85][86][87][88][89][90][91][92][93][94][95][96] Yang et al found that esophagitis and BE were associated with a rise in Gram negative anaerobes, including Prevotella, Veillonella, Haemophilus, Neisseria, Fusobacterium, and Campylobacter, at the expense of Streptococcus. 94 In two other studies, increase of Campylobacter was also found in patients with GERD and BE.…”

“…Esophageal diseases, including GERD, BE, esophageal cancer, and EoE, influence the esophageal microbiome 81–96 . Yang et al .…”