Compositional Alterations of Gut Microbiota in Patients with Diabetic Kidney Disease and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Xin He,1 Jiping Sun,2 Chao Liu,2 Xiaoyang Yu,2 Huixian Li,2 Wenjing Zhang,2 Yan Li,2 Yingzhou Geng,2 Zhigang Wang2 1Dialysis Department of Nephrology Hospital, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, 710061, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Nephrology, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, 710061, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Zhigang Wang, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, West Yanta Road 277, Xi’an, 710061, People’s Republic of China, Email wangzhigang2017@xjtu.edu.cnPurpose: Emerging evidence has revealed that gut microbiota plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and diabetic kidney disease (DKD). However, few studies have used metagenomic sequencing to analyze the alterations of gut microbiota community in patients with early-stage DKD.Methods: We carried out metagenomic sequencing in fecal samples of 10 DKD patients (DKD group) and 10 T2DM patients who appeared to be less prone to DKD (non-DKD group), aiming to compare the composition and function of gut microbiota between the DKD and non-DKD groups.Results: The gut microbial community of the DKD group was significantly different from that of the non-DKD group, characterized by a marked increase in phylum Proteobacteria, genus Selenomonadales, Neosynechococcus, Shigella, Bilophila, Acidaminococcus, species, Escherichia coli, Bacteroides plebeius, Megasphaera elsdenii, Acidaminococcus unclassified, and Bilophila wadsworthia. The amounts of species Citrobacter farmeri and Syntrophaceticus schinkii were significantly and positively correlated with the urinary albumin creatinine ratio in the DKD group. Furthermore, functional analysis based on dbCAN and KEGG databases showed aberrant lipopolysaccharide (LPS) biosynthesis and carbohydrate metabolism in the gut microbiome of the DKD group.Conclusion: Our findings provided evidence for alterations in the composition and fun