Pan Zhang, Xifan Wang, Shenghui Li, Xuesen Cao, Jianzhou Zou, Yi Fang, Yiqin Shi, Fangfang Xiang, Bo Shen, Yixuan Li, Bing Fang, Yue Zhang, Ruochun Guo, Qingbo Lv, Liwen Zhang, Yufei Lu, Yaqiong Wang, Jinbo Yu, Yeqing Xie, Ran Wang, Xiaohong Chen, Jiawei Yu, Zhen Zhang, Jingjing He, Jing Zhan, Wenlv Lv, Yuxin Nie, Jieru Cai, Xialian Xu, Jiachang Hu, Qi Zhang, Ting Gao, Xiaotian Jiang, Xiao Tan, Ning Xue, Yimei Wang, Yimei Ren, Li Wang, Han Zhang, Yichun Ning, Jing Chen, Lin Zhang, Shi Jin, Fazheng Ren, Stanislav Dusko Ehrlich, Liang Zhao, and Xiaoqiang Ding
Abstract Background The gut microbiota plays a crucial role in regulating host metabolism and producing uremic toxins in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Our objective is to advance toward a holistic understanding of the gut ecosystem and its functional capacity in such patients, which is still lacking. Results Herein, we explore the gut microbiome of 378 hemodialytic ESRD patients and 290 healthy volunteers from two independent cohorts via deep metagenomic sequencing and metagenome-assembled-genome-based characterization of their feces. Our findings reveal fundamental alterations in the ESRD microbiome, characterized by a panel of 348 differentially abundant species, including ESRD-elevated representatives of Blautia spp., Dorea spp., and Eggerthellaceae, and ESRD-depleted Prevotella and Roseburia species. Through functional annotation of the ESRD-associated species, we uncover various taxon-specific functions linked to the disease, such as antimicrobial resistance, aromatic compound degradation, and biosynthesis of small bioactive molecules. Additionally, we show that the gut microbial composition can be utilized to predict serum uremic toxin concentrations, and based on this, we identify the key toxin-contributing species. Furthermore, our investigation extended to 47 additional non-dialyzed chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients, revealing a significant correlation between the abundance of ESRD-associated microbial signatures and CKD progression. Conclusion This study delineates the taxonomic and functional landscapes and biomarkers of the ESRD microbiome. Understanding the role of gut microbiota in ESRD could open new avenues for therapeutic interventions and personalized treatment approaches in patients with this condition.