The microbiome in adult acute appendicitis

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Microbiology
• Surgical Pathology

Background:

• Acute appendicitis is a common surgical emergency with unclear pathogenesis.
• The gut microbiome is implicated in inflammatory bowel diseases and potentially appendicitis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize the gut microbiome in adult acute appendicitis patients.
• To compare microbial diversity and composition between appendicitis patients and healthy controls.

Main Methods:

• Prospective cohort study of 60 adult appendicitis patients and 20 healthy controls.
• 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing of rectal swabs for microbiome analysis.
• Analysis of microbial diversity (alpha diversity) and taxonomic abundance.

Main Results:

• Appendicitis patients exhibited significantly lower alpha diversity in their rectal microbiome compared to controls.
• Increased abundance of potential pathogens (e.g., *Parvimonas*, *Acinetobacter*) was observed.
• Decreased abundance of commensal bacteria (e.g., *Faecalibacterium*, *Blautia*, *Lachnospiraceae*) was noted in appendicitis patients.

Conclusions:

• A reduced microbial diversity and loss of commensal bacteria characterize the microbiome in adult acute appendicitis.
• These microbiome alterations may play a role in the pathogenesis or consequences of appendicitis.