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Changes in Urinary Microbiome Populations Correlate in Kidney Transplants With Interstitial Fibrosis and Tubular Atrophy Documented in Early Surveillance Biopsies
Author(s) -
Modena B. D.,
Milam R.,
Harrison F.,
Cheeseman J. A.,
Abecassis M. M.,
Friedewald J. J.,
Kirk A. D.,
Salomon D. R.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
american journal of transplantation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.89
H-Index - 188
eISSN - 1600-6143
pISSN - 1600-6135
DOI - 10.1111/ajt.14038
Subject(s) - medicine , microbiome , urinary system , pathology , fibrosis , kidney , atrophy , bioinformatics , biology
An unbalanced microbiome may lead to disease by creating aberrant immune responses. A recent association of cellular rejection with the development of interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy ( IFTA ) suggests the role of immune‐mediated tissue injury. We hypothesized that developing IFTA correlates with altered urinary tract microbiomes ( UMB s). UMB s at two serial time points, 1 and 6–8 months posttransplant, were assessed by 16S microbial ribosomal gene sequencing in 25 patients developing biopsy‐proven IFTA compared to 23 transplant patients with normal biopsies and excellent function ( TX ) and 20 healthy nontransplant controls ( HC ). Streptococcus , the dominant genera in HC males, was lower in IFTA and TX males at 1 month compared to HC s. At 6–8 months, Streptococcus was further decreased in IFTA males, but normalized in TX . IFTA males and females had increases in number of genera per sample at 6–8 months. UMB composition varied substantially between individuals in all groups. Despite the wide variation in UMB s between individuals, IFTA was associated with a loss in dominant resident urinary microbes in males, and a parallel increase in nonresident, pathogenic bacteria in males and females. UMB changes may contribute to IFTA development by alteration of the host immune response.