An Update on the Mutual Impact between SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Gut Microbiota

Shaoshuai Li; Yang Zhou; Dongmei Yan; Yanmin Wan

doi:10.3390/v14081774

An Update on the Mutual Impact between SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Gut Microbiota

Viruses. 2022 Aug 15;14(8):1774. doi: 10.3390/v14081774.

Authors

Shaoshuai Li^{1

2

3}, Yang Zhou¹, Dongmei Yan³, Yanmin Wan^{1

4}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, China.
² Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Shanghai 201508, China.
³ Key Laboratory of Microecology-Immune Regulatory Network and Related Diseases, School of Basic Medicine, Jiamusi University, Jiamusi 154000, China.
⁴ Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Department of Radiology, Shanghai 201508, China.

Abstract

The gut microbiota is essential for good health. It has also been demonstrated that the gut microbiota can regulate immune responses against respiratory tract infections. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, accumulating evidence suggests that there is a link between the severity of COVID-19 and the alteration of one's gut microbiota. The composition of gut microbiota can be profoundly affected by COVID-19 and vice versa. Here, we summarize the observations of the mutual impact between SARS-CoV-2 infection and gut microbiota composition. We discuss the consequences and mechanisms of the bi-directional interaction. Moreover, we also discuss the immune cross-reactivity between SARS-CoV-2 and commensal bacteria, which represents a previously overlooked connection between COVID-19 and commensal gut bacteria. Finally, we summarize the progress in managing COVID-19 by utilizing microbial interventions.

Keywords: SARS-CoV-2; cross-reactive immunity; gut microbiota; gut–lung axis.

Publication types

Review
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

COVID-19*
Gastrointestinal Microbiome*
Gastrointestinal Tract
Humans
Pandemics
SARS-CoV-2

Grants and funding

This work was partly supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 81971559), the Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality (No. 21NL2600100), and the major project of Study on Pathogenesis and Epidemic Prevention Technology System (No.2021YFC2302500) by the Ministry of Science and Technology of China.