AUTHOR=Gao Jing , Wang Jie , Zhao Li-Li , Yao Ting-Ting , Chen Yang , Ma Jing , Zhang Xu , Wang Jing-Xian , Wang Yuan , Cui Zhuang , Liu Yin 

TITLE=Gut Lactobacillus Level Is a Predictive Marker for Coronary Atherosclerotic Lesions Progress and Prognosis in Patients With Acute Coronary Syndrome

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology

VOLUME=11

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cellular-and-infection-microbiology/articles/10.3389/fcimb.2021.687827

DOI=10.3389/fcimb.2021.687827

ISSN=2235-2988

ABSTRACT=<sec><title>Background</title><p>Gut microbiota dysbiosis can contribute to the progression of atherosclerosis. We investigated the association of the gut microbiota and the severity of coronary artery lesions and prognosis of patients with ACS.</p></sec><sec><title>Methods</title><p>In this case-control study, 402 ACS patients and 100 controls were enrolled from June 2017 to December 2018. The number of bacterial species was determined by real-time PCR. A SYNTAX score was calculated for all ACS patients based on their coronary angiography results.</p></sec><sec><title>Results</title><p>Compared with the healthy controls, the gut microbial levels in <italic>Escherichia coli</italic>, <italic>Streptococcus</italic>, and <italic>Enterobacteriaceae</italic> were significantly increased in ACS patients, while the <italic>Lactobacillus</italic> level was significantly decreased. <italic>Lactobacillus</italic> level was as an independent predictor of disease severity on the coronary angiography [high vs. low SYNTAX score: adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 0.024, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.004–0.155] and myocardial necrosis [high vs. low cardiac troponin T (cTNT): aOR = 0.317, 95% CI: 0.099–0.914]. Subsequently, a higher <italic>Lactobacillus</italic> level was associated with a lower risk of an all-cause death [adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) = 0.239; 95% CI: 0.093–0.617] and major adverse cardiac events (MACE) in ACS patients (aHR = 0.208; 95% CI: 0.081–0.531). After stratifying by the type of ACS, a higher <italic>Lactobacillus</italic> level was significantly associated with the decreased risks of high SYNTAX score, all-cause death, and MACE in the STEMI subgroup but not in the NSTEMI and UAP subgroups.</p></sec><sec><title>Conclusions</title><p>Lower <italic>Lactobacillus</italic> levels may indicate a higher risk of a more severe coronary atherosclerotic lesions and myocardial necrosis and worse prognosis for patients with ACS, particularly in the STEMI subgroup.</p></sec>