Unraveling Intestinal Microbial Shifts in ESRD and Kidney Transplantation: Implications for Disease-Related Dysbiosis

Abstract

The composition of the gut microbiome is profoundly influenced by the accumulation of toxins in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and specific medical treatments during kidney transplantation (KT). However, variations in results may arise due to factors such as genetics, dietary habits, and the strategy of anti-rejection therapy. Therefore, we conducted a 16S rRNA sequencing study to characterize intestinal microbiomes by using 75 fecal specimens obtained from 25 paired Chinese living donors (LDs) of kidneys and recipients before and after KT. Surprisingly, similar enterotypes were observed between healthy LDs and ESRD recipients. Nonetheless, following KT, the fecal communities of recipients exhibited distinct clustering, which was primarily characterized by Escherichia–Shigella and Streptococcus at the genus level, along with a reduction in the diversity of microbiota. To further explore the characteristics of gut microorganisms in early rejection episodes, two recipients with biopsy-proven borderline changes during follow-up were enrolled in a preliminary sub-cohort study. Our findings reveal a comparable construction of gut microbiota between ESRD patients and their healthy relatives while also highlighting the significant impact of KT on gut microbial composition.