AUTHOR=Martín-Núñez Gracia Mª , Cornejo-Pareja Isabel , Clemente-Postigo Mercedes , Tinahones Francisco J. , Moreno-Indias Isabel 

TITLE=Helicobacter pylori Eradication Therapy Affect the Gut Microbiota and Ghrelin Levels

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Medicine

VOLUME=8

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/medicine/articles/10.3389/fmed.2021.712908

DOI=10.3389/fmed.2021.712908

ISSN=2296-858X

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Background:</bold> Antibiotic therapy used to eradicate <italic>Helicobacter pylori</italic> has been associated with changes in plasma ghrelin and alterations in the gut microbiota. On the other hand, changes in ghrelin levels have been related to changes in gut microbiota composition. Our aim was to evaluate the relationship between changes in the gut microbiota and ghrelin levels in <italic>H. pylori</italic> infected patients who received antibiotic treatment for its eradication.</p><p><bold>Methods:</bold> A prospective case-control study that included forty <italic>H. pylori</italic>-positive patients who received eradication therapy (omeprazole, clarithromycin, and amoxicillin) and twenty healthy <italic>H. pylori</italic> antigen-negative participants. Patients were evaluated, including clinical, anthropometric and dietary variables, before and 2 months after treatment. Gut microbiota composition was analyzed through 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing (IlluminaMiSeq).</p><p><bold>Results:</bold> Changes in gut microbiota profiles and decrease in ghrelin levels were identified after <italic>H. pylori</italic> eradication treatment. Gut bacteria such as <italic>Bifidobacterium longum, Bacteroides, Prevotella, Parabacteroides distasonis</italic>, and <italic>RS045</italic> have been linked to ghrelin levels fasting and/or post meals. Changes in the abundance of <italic>Lachnospiraceae</italic>, its genus <italic>Blautia</italic>, as well as <italic>Prevotella stercorea</italic>, and <italic>Megasphaera</italic> have been inversely associated with changes in ghrelin after eradication treatment.</p><p><bold>Conclusions:</bold> Eradication treatment for <italic>H. pylori</italic> produces changes in the composition of the intestinal microbiota and ghrelin levels. The imbalance between lactate producers such as <italic>Blautia</italic>, and lactate consumers such as <italic>Megasphaera, Lachnospiraceae</italic>, or <italic>Prevotella</italic>, could trigger changes related to ghrelin levels under the alteration of the eradication therapy used for <italic>H. pylori</italic>. In addition, acetate producing bacteria such as <italic>B. longum, Bacteroides</italic>, and <italic>P. distasonis</italic> could also play an important role in ghrelin regulation.</p>