Background: Little is known about the changes and mechanisms of intestinal flora in primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) patients.
Aim: To explore the structural and functional differences of intestinal flora between ITP patients and healthy controls, and clarify the correlation between intestinal flora and Th1/Th2 imbalance.
Methods: Feces from ITP patients and healthy controls were studied by 16S rRNA and metagenomic techniques at phylum, genus, species or functional levels. Blood samples were collected for the detection of interleukin -2 (IL-2) and IL-4 concentrations.
Results: The following changes in ITP patients were found: a decrease of Bacteroidetes phylum, an increase of Proteobacteria phylum and alterations of ten genera and 1045 species. IL-2 and IL-4 were significantly correlated with six and five genera, respectively. Species of C. freundii, C. rodentium, and C. youngae were negatively correlated with bleeding scores, and S. infantis was positively related to platelet counts. Functionally, the intestinal flora of ITP patients changed mainly in terms of motility, chemotaxis, membrane transport, and metabolism.
Conclusion: The mechanism underlying functional and structural changes of intestinal flora in ITP patients may be related to inflammation and immunity, providing possibilities of probiotics or fecal transplants for ITP.
Keywords: 16S rRNA; IL-2; IL-4; Primary immune thrombocytopenia; Th1/Th2 imbalance; intestinal flora; metagenomics.