Altered gut microbiota and its association with inflammation in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension: a single-center observational study in Japan

Background The pathogenesis of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is considered to be associated with chronic inflammation; however, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Recently, altered gut microbiota were found in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and in experimental PAH models. The aim of this study was to characterize the gut microbiota in patients with CTEPH and assess the relationship between gut dysbiosis and inflammation in CTEPH. Methods In this observational study, fecal samples were collected from 11 patients with CTEPH and 22 healthy participants. The abundance of gut microbiota in these fecal samples was assessed using 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA) gene sequencing. Inflammatory cytokine and endotoxin levels were also assessed in patients with CTEPH and control participants. Results The levels of serum tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, and macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1α were elevated in patients with CTEPH. Plasma endotoxin levels were significantly increased in patients with CTEPH ( P < 0.001), and were positively correlated with TNF-α, IL-6, IL-8, and MIP-1α levels. The 16S rRNA gene sequencing and the principal coordinate analysis revealed the distinction in the gut microbiota between patients with CTEPH ( P < 0.01) and control participants as well as the decreased bacterial alpha-diversity in patients with CTEPH. A random forest analysis for predicting the distinction in gut microbiota revealed an accuracy of 80.3%. Conclusion The composition of the gut microbiota in patients with CTEPH was distinct from that of healthy participants, which may be associated with the elevated inflammatory cytokines and endotoxins in CTEPH.