Changes of the Gut Microbiota Composition in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation

Abstract Background With the establishment of the cardiac-gut axis concept, increasing evidence has suggested the involvement and important regulatory role of the gut microbiota (GM) in cardiovascular diseases. Whereas, the relationship between GM and atrial fibrillation (AF) still poorly understood.Objectives The aim of this study was to investigate whether there were differences in GM between AF patients and healthy controls, and to discover the factors that affecting the changes of GM.Methods In this study, we enrolled 30 hospitalized patients with AF and 30 matched patients with sinus rhythm (SR). GM species in fecal samples were evaluated through amplicon sequencing targeting the 16Sribosomal RNA gene. GM species richness, diversity, differential abundance of individual taxa between AF and SR were analyzed.Results AF patients showed decreased species richness and α-diversity compared to SR patients, but there was no statistical difference. The phylogenetic diversity was significant decreased in AF group (P<0.001). The β-diversity indexes revealed significant differences in GM community structure between AF group and SR group. After investigated the individual taxa, AF group showed altered relative abundance in several taxa compared to the SR group. linear discriminant analysis (LDA) effect size (LEfSe) analysis revealed, a significant decrease in Bifidobacterium and a greater abundance of Lactobacillus, Fusobacterium, Haemophilus in AF group compared with the SR group.Conclusions In AF patients, the GM phylogenetic diversity and β-diversity decreased, the relative abundance altered in several taxa and the bacterial community structure changed. GM dysbiosis might play a crucial part in the occurrence and development of AF.Clinical Trial Registration: chictr.org.cn identifier: ChiCTR2100050063