Potentially deadly sepsis may be more likely in certain patients due to problems in the gut.Researchers from the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology's Infectious Disease Research Center used female mouse models to investigate why sepsis outcomes can vary so dramatically.The study, published in the journal Nature, looked at genetically similar mice with different gut microbiomes.The mice were infected with Acinetobacter baumannii — a highly resilient bacterium that can lead to sepsis.ER DOCTOR REVEALS HOW PNEUMONIA CAN SUDDENLY TURN DEADLY AFTER KYLE BUSCH'S DEATHThe researchers compared groups of mice with higher and lower survival rates, examining differences in their gut microbiomes, the amount of bacteria in their blood and organs, and other cellular markers, according to the study press release.Gut health could signal severe sepsis prior to infection, the study suggests.
(iStock)Although some mice were genetically similar, the more vulnerable mice had a higher concentration of Muribaculaceae bacteria in the gut.In one comparison, these bacteria made up about 28% of the microbiome in poor surviving mice, but only 0.15% in better surviving mice.Mice with worse survival showed an early and strong inflammatory response, which later led to more bacteria in the blood, lungs and spleen.
This suggests that the microbiome causes the immune system to be more reactive, according to the researchers.GUT MICROBES COULD BE KEY TO FIGHTING TOXIC, LONG-LASTING 'FOREVER CHEMICALS,' RESEARCH SAYSIn the microbiome of mice with worse survival, the researchers also noticed that one strain of bacteria — Sangeribacter muris KT1-3 — was most prominent.The mice that typically survived at high rates fared much worse when housed with KTI-3 mice, with their survival falling to 10%.More vulnerable mice had a higher concentration of Muribaculaceae bacteria in the gut.
(iStock)This bacterial strain also appeared to worsen inflammation during certain infections, ma...