The pediatric gut bacteriome and virome in response to SARS-CoV-2 infection

• DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2024.1335450
• Publication Date: 2024-01-22T04:27:43Z
• Authors: Antonia Piazzesi; Stefania Pane; Federica Del Chie...; Lorenza Romani; Andrea Campana; Paolo Palma; Lorenza Putignani
• Keywords: Human virome; Infectivity; Pandemic

Introduction Since the beginning of SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in early 2020, it has been apparent that children were partially protected from both infection and more severe forms disease. Many different mechanisms have proposed to explain this phenomenon, including children’s frequent exposure other upper respiratory infections vaccines, which inflammatory cytokines they are likely produce response infection. Furthermore, given presence intestine its ability infect enterocytes, combined with well described immunomodulatory capabilities microbiome, another potential contributing factor may be certain protective microbial members gut microbiota (GM). Methods We performed shotgun metagenomic sequencing profiled bacteriome virome GM pediatric patients compared healthy, age-matched subjects. Results found that, while do share some pro-inflammatory signatures adult patients, also possess a distinct signature bacteria previously negatively correlated infectivity COVID-19 severity. was associated higher fecal Cytomegalovirus load, shifts relative abundances bacteriophages GM. we address how preventative treatment antibiotics, common practice especially days pandemic, affected virome, as antimicrobial resistance virulence genes these patients. Discussion To our knowledge, is first study bacteriome, resistome antibiotics use.