Relationship between gut microbiota and lymphocyte subsets in Chinese Han patients with spinal cord injury

This study investigates the gut microbiota and lymphocyte subsets in Chinese Han patients with spinal cord injury (SCI). The gut microbiota of patients with SCI is associated with lymphocyte subsets. Therefore, it is possible to improve immune dysregulation in SCI patients by modulating gut microbiota, which may serve as a new therapeutic method for SCI. Spinal cord injury can cause suppression of the non-specific and specific immune function, which is called spinal cord injury induced immune depression syndrome (SCIIDS). The underlying mechanism of SCIIDS remains unclear. Studies have found that the gut microbiota is closely related to immune function, and the disruption of the gut microbiota can lead to immune dysfunction. This study used 16S rDNA high-throughput sequencing and bioinformatics methods to analyze the changes of the gut microbiota in SCI patients. The relationship of the gut microbiota with lymphocyte subsets was analyzed. Our findings may provide a new treatment alternative for improving the immune dysregulation in SCI patients by regulating the gut microbiota.

• 1
  CD4 + cells, CD4 + /CD8 + ratio and CD4 + CD8 + cells in peripheral blood of SCI patients were significantly lower than those of the control group.
• 2
  The gut microbiota community diversity index of SCI patients was significantly higher than that of healthy controls.
• 3
  The relative abundance of Lachnospiraceae, Ruminococcaceae, and Escherichia-Shigella increased significantly, while the butyrate producing bacteria (Fusobacterium) that were beneficial to the gut were dramatically decreased.