Skip to main content
About the Institute
  • English
  • Français
  • Español
  • Russian

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Gastroenterology
  3. Gut microbiota and Covid-19: what the experts know and what they suspect
  • Our publications
    • News
    • Microbiota Mag
    • Thematic folders
    • Overviews - Microbiota Magazine
  • About the Institute
    • Partnerships
    • Press room
  • Congresses
    • Congress calendar
    • Congress reviews
  • Continuing Medical Education
    • Accrediting courses
    • Xpeer App
  • Useful documents
    • Infographics
    About the Institute

    Join the microbiota community

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • LinkedIn
    • YouTube

Lay public section

Find here your dedicated section
Gastroenterology
Gynecology
Pediatrics
Dermatology

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Gastroenterology
  3. Gut microbiota and Covid-19: what the experts know and what they suspect
Gastroenterology

Gut microbiota and Covid-19: what the experts know and what they suspect

Covid-19
Pulmonology Gastroenterology

One of the main target organs for SARS-CoV-2 other than the lungs is the intestines, which also act as a potential dissemination route. Hence this review focusing on gastrointestinal disorders and the role of the gut microbiota in Covid-19 symptoms and mortality.

Gastroenterology
Gynecology
Pediatrics
Dermatology
  • Our publications
    • News
    • Microbiota Mag
    • Thematic folders
    • Overviews - Microbiota Magazine
  • About the Institute
    • Partnerships
    • Press room
  • Congresses
    • Congress calendar
    • Congress reviews
  • Continuing Medical Education
    • Accrediting courses
    • Xpeer App
  • Useful documents
    • Infographics
    About the Institute

    Join the microbiota community

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • LinkedIn
    • YouTube

Lay public section

Find here your dedicated section

Sources

This article is based on scientific information

Sharing is caring

Your colleagues might be interested in this topic. Why not share it?

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Mail
Photo : Gut microbiota and covid-19: what the experts know and what they suspect

About this article

Created 13 October 2020
Updated 04 March 2022

Although Covid-19 primarily affects the lungs, physicians and researchers have quickly focused on the role of the gut microbiota in the disease, particularly since intestinal symptoms (vomiting, nausea, diarrhea) appear to be more common in severe cases, with three meta-analyses involving around 4,000-10,000 patients reporting a prevalence of 10% to 17.6%. The infection triggers an inflammatory bowel reaction, evidenced by high fecal levels of a specific biomarker, calprotectin.

The virus is present in the digestive system

SARS-CoV-2 infects cells mainly by binding to the (sidenote: Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 )  receptor, which is involved in the homeostasis of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, crucial to the pathophysiology of all organs. ACE2 is strongly expressed in lung tissue, hence the vulnerability of this organ, but it is also expressed in the heart, liver, and intestines. The digestive system may therefore be a gateway for the virus via contaminated food. Fecal-oral transmission may follow. Actually, viral RNA is present in the stool of half of Covid-19 patients, even when the virus is absent from the respiratory tract. In addition, the virus appears capable of replicating in the gut.

Potential mechanisms

Several mechanisms may be involved in the gastrointestinal disorders observed:

• Weakening of the intestinal barrier due to local inflammation or virus replication.

• Deregulation of ACE2, whose deficiency increases gut’s susceptibility to inflammation. SARS-CoV-2 reduces the expression of ACE2 in the lungs and is likely to do so in the gut also.

• Alteration in the composition and functions of the microbiota as a result of hypoxia caused by Covid-19.

• Involvement of gut-brain axis. The enteric nervous system may be affected either via direct viral infection or through an (sidenote: For example, inflammatory cytokines ) , intensifying diarrhea and potentially stimulating the vagus nerve to provoke vomiting.

Dysbiosis of the gut microbiota

An ACE2 deficiency has been shown to alter the composition of the intestinal microbiota in mice, and Covid-19 patients develop an intestinal dysbiosis, with a loss of bacterial diversity and abundance. This dysbiosis has significant consequences: the gut microbiota can remotely stimulate the host’s response to respiratory viral infections; conversely, the dysbiosis can worsen the outcome of the disease, with reduced presence of commensal bacteria favoring the over-representation of pathogenic bacteria. Therefore, the role of the gut microbiota in Covid-19 infections remains to be determined, with the microbiota potentially constituting a biomarker of disease severity or offering therapeutic strategies.

 

Sources

Trottein F, Sokol H. Potential Causes and Consequences of Gastrointestinal Disorders during a SARS-CoV-2 Infection. Cell Rep. 2020 Jul 21;32(3):107915.

Tags
Immunity Dysbiosis Covid-19 SARS-CoV-2 Lung disease Gut-brain axis Immune system Virus

en_view en_sources

    Created 13 October 2020
    Updated 04 March 2022

    About this article

    To know more about this topic.

    Main topic

    Covid-19

    Medical practice

    Pulmonology Gastroenterology

    Content type

    News
    Gastroenterology

    Your IBS Diagnosis Check List

    How many patients suffering from gut disorder do you see per week? How many are diagnosed with Irritable Bo...

    Find out more

    Human milk nutrient fortifiers alter the developing gastrointestinal microbiota of very-low-birth-weight infants

    Commented article - Children's section By Pr. Emmanuel M...

    Find out more

    Impact of beer and non alcoholic consumption on the gut microbiota

    By Pr. Bernd SchnablDivision of Gastroenterology, San Diego Digestive Diseases Research Center (SDDRC), UC ...

    Find out more

    Everything you need to know about Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

    Accrediting training, infographics, expert’s video, thematic folder, news… Biocodex Microbiota Institute pr...

    Find out more

    Gut Microbiota #17

    By Pr. Satu PekkalaAcademy of Finland Research Fellow, Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences, University of ...

    Find out more

    Gut Microbiota # 16

    By Pr. Satu PekkalaAcademy of Finland Research Fellow, Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences, University of ...

    Find out more

    Highlights from the UEGW

    By Dr. Lucas WautersGastroenterology and Hepatology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

    Find out more

    The Gut-Brain axis

    By Pr. Sarkis K. Mazmanian, John W. Bostick, Nadia SuryawinataBiology and Biological Engineering, Californi...

    Find out more

    Continue reading

    News
    L’axe intestin-cerveau dans le stress lié à la discrimination
    20.03.2023

    The gut-brain axis and discrimination-related stress

    Read the article
    20.03.2023

    The role of Bifidobacteria in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

    Read the article
    14.03.2023

    Positive impact of running on gut microbiota and adolescent depression

    Read the article
    09.03.2023

    Each subtype of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) has its own dysbiosis

    Read the article
    Parkinson : le microbiote intestinal, chef d’orchestre des mécanismes pathogéniques ?
    27.02.2023

    Does the gut microbiota orchestrate pathogenic mechanisms in Parkinson’s disease?

    Read the article
    Everything you need to know about Microbiota & Immunity
    15.09.2022

    Everything you need to know about Microbiota & Immunity

    Read the article
    The psychobiotic diet: modulating gut microbiota to reduce stress
    13.02.2023

    The psychobiotic diet: modulating gut microbiota to reduce stress

    Read the article
    30.01.2023

    Schizophrenia and aggressive behavior: what involvement of the intestinal microbiota?

    Read the article
    What's worth reading about microbiota
    Follow us on Twitter
    Read our thematic folder
    The Janus face of Antibiotics: Life Savers & Microbiota Disrupters
    Microbiota 17 EN
    Check out our latest magazine
    The first 1000 days of life
    • Our publications
      • News
      • Microbiota Mag
      • Thematic folders
      • Overviews - Microbiota Magazine
    • About the Institute
      • Partnerships
      • Press room
    • Congresses
      • Congress calendar
      • Congress reviews
    • Continuing Medical Education
      • Accrediting courses
      • Xpeer App
    • Useful documents
      • Infographics
      About the Institute

      Join the microbiota community

      • Facebook
      • Twitter
      • LinkedIn
      • YouTube

    Lay public section

    Find here your dedicated section
    Gastroenterology
    Gynecology
    Pediatrics
    Dermatology
    • English
    • Français
    • Español
    • Russian

    Browse the site

    • Our publications
      • News
      • Microbiota Mag
      • Thematic folders
      • Overviews - Microbiota Magazine
    • About the Institute
      • Partnerships
      • Press room
    • Congresses
      • Congress calendar
      • Congress reviews
    • Continuing Medical Education
      • Accrediting courses
      • Xpeer App
    • Useful documents
      • Infographics
      About the Institute

      Join the microbiota community

      • Facebook
      • Twitter
      • LinkedIn
      • YouTube

    Lay public section

    Find here your dedicated section

    Discover

    Gastroenterology
    Gynecology
    Pediatrics
    Dermatology

    Join the microbiota community

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • LinkedIn
    • YouTube

    Lay public section

    Find here your dedicated section

    Redirection

    You are about to be redirected and leave our website

    • Be redirected
    • Stay on the Biocodex Microbiota Institute's website

    Stay with us !

    Join the Microbiota Community of HCPs and researchers and receive “Microbiota Digest” and "Microbiota Mag" to stay up to date on the latest news about microbiota.

    * Mandatory Fields

    BMI 20-35

    Explore

    L’axe intestin-cerveau dans le stress lié à la discrimination
    20.03.2023

    The gut-brain axis and discrimination-related stress

    Read the article
    20.03.2023

    The role of Bifidobacteria in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

    Read the article
    14.03.2023

    Positive impact of running on gut microbiota and adolescent depression

    Read the article

    Stay updated

    Join the Microbiota Community of HCPs and researchers and receive “Microbiota Digest” and "Microbiota Mag" to stay up to date on the latest news about microbiota.

    * Mandatory Fields

    BMI 20-35

    • Our publications
      • News
      • Microbiota Mag
      • Thematic folders
      • Overviews - Microbiota Magazine
    • About the Institute
      • Partnerships
      • Press room
    • Congresses
      • Congress calendar
      • Congress reviews
    • Continuing Medical Education
      • Accrediting courses
      • Xpeer App
    • Useful documents
      • Infographics
      About the Institute

      Join the microbiota community

      • Facebook
      • Twitter
      • LinkedIn
      • YouTube

    Lay public section

    Find here your dedicated section

    Discover

    Gastroenterology
    Gynecology
    Pediatrics
    Dermatology

    Lay public section

    Find here your dedicated section

    Join the microbiota community

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • LinkedIn
    • YouTube

    © 2022 Biocodex. All rights reserved.

    • Cookies Policy
    • Data protection policy
    • GTU
    • Sitemap
    • Cookies settings
    Biocodex logo