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Updated: Jun 16, 2026
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Purifying the Impure: Sequencing Metagenomes and Metatranscriptomes from Complex Animal-associated Samples
Published on: December 22, 2014
Ventilation-Associated Differences in Lower Airway Microbial Signatures and Peripheral Blood Transcriptome Among
Yuxia Li1, Mingzhu Huang1, Zheying Mao1
1Department of Laboratory Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China.
Infection and Drug Resistance
|June 15, 2026
Summary
Invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) in COVID-19 patients significantly reduces lung microbial diversity, decreasing Streptococcus abundance. This correlates with increased inflammatory gene expression, indicating a heightened innate immune response.
Area of Science:
- Pulmonary microbiology
- Host-microbiome interactions
- Transcriptomics in critical illness
Background:
- Invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) is essential for severe respiratory failure in COVID-19 patients.
- The link between microbiota alterations and host gene expression in IMV patients is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between lung microbiome composition and host immune status in critically ill COVID-19 patients undergoing IMV.
- To explore the correlation between specific microbial changes and host gene expression patterns.
Main Methods:
- Prospective enrollment of 69 critically ill COVID-19 patients (41 received IMV).
- Analysis of lung microbiome diversity (alpha and beta diversity).
- Correlation analysis between microbial abundance and host transcriptome data.
Main Results:
- IMV patients showed significantly reduced alpha diversity compared to non-ventilated patients.
- A decrease in the abundance of the Streptococcus genus (primarily S. oralis and S. mitis) was observed in IMV patients.
- Transcriptomic analysis revealed upregulation of inflammation-related pathways (e.g., 'positive regulation of inflammatory response') in IMV patients, correlating with decreased Streptococcus.
Conclusions:
- COVID-19 patients on IMV exhibit reduced pulmonary microbial diversity and decreased Streptococcus.
- Upregulated inflammatory gene expression in IMV patients suggests an enhanced innate immune response.
- Findings highlight the impact of IMV on the lung microbiome and host immune response in COVID-19.
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