Distinct Features of Gut Microbiota in High-Altitude Tibetan and Middle-Altitude Han Hypertensive Patients

Abstract

Indigenous animals show unique gut microbiota (GM) in the Tibetan plateau. However, it is unknown whether the hypertensive indigenous people in plateau also have the distinct gut bacteria, different from those living in plains. We sequenced the V3-V4 region of the gut bacteria 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene of feces samples among hypertensive patients (HPs) and healthy individuals (HIs) from 3 distinct altitudes: Tibetans from high altitude (3600–4500 m, n = 38 and 34), Hans from middle altitude (2260 m, n = 49 and 35), and Hans from low altitude (13 m, n = 34 and 35) and then analyzed the GM composition among hypertensive and healthy subgroups using the bioinformatics analysis, respectively. The GM of high-altitude Tibetan and middle-altitude Han HPs presented greater α- and β-diversities, lower ratio of Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes (F/B), and higher abundance of beneficial Verrucomicrobia and Akkermansia than the low-altitudes HPs did. The GM of high-altitude Tibetan and middle-altitude HIs showed greater α-diversity and lower ratio of F/B than the low-altitudes HIs did. But, β-diversity and abundance of Verrucomicrobia and Akkermansia among different subgroups of HIs did not show any differences. Conclusively, the high-altitude Tibetan and middle-altitude Han HPs have a distinct feature of GM, which may be important in their adaptation to hypertension in the plateau environments.

Specific Alterations of Gut Microbiota in Chinese Patients with Hypertension: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…Table 4). Of these assessments, seven (7/13) [14, 30, 34, 36, 37, 40, 41] provided data and were included in meta-analyses. We used bacterial diversity indexes (Shannon and Simpson indexes, Fig.…”

“…Ten (10/16) studies [14, 24, 30, 33, 34, 37, 39-41] measured the β-diversity of gut microbiota mainly using principal coordinate analysis or principal component analysis. Consistent differences between hypertensive and control were reported by eight (8/10) studies [14, 24, 30, 33, 34, 36, 40, 41].…”

“…Seven (7/16) studies [28-30, 32, 34, 35, 37] described the distinct taxa at the phylum level, of which attentions were all paid to the microbiome analysis between HTN and control groups (Table 2). Six studies (6/7) [29, 30, 32, 34, 35, 37] demonstrated that the HTN group had higher abundant phylotypes of Firmicutes (F) while lower abundant phylotypes of Bacteroidetes (B), with an elevated F/B ratio. One study [28] suggested that Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria were the relatively distinct bacterial taxa at the phylum level.…”

“…Fourteen (14/16) studies [14, 28-34, 36-41] explored the distinct taxa at the genus level. A significantly higher richness of Megasphaera [30, 32, 40], Prevotella [14, 31, 32], and Escherichia_Shigella [32, 37, 41] was shown in HTN from three studies (3/14) respectively, while Klebsiella [14, 28] was confirmed with increased abundance in two (2/8) studies.…”

“…In Guo’s observational analysis [25], the same conclusion was drawn that diversity was declining. Meanwhile, Zhu’s study proved significant differences in patients with different races, altitudes, and grades of HTN [34]. When it goes to subtypes of HTN, the bacterial communities in preHTN are different from the control group, but similar to the HTN group [14], suggesting that gut microbes may be involved in the progression of HTN.…”