Identification and Characterization of Blood and Neutrophil-Associated Microbiomes in Patients with Severe Acute Pancreatitis Using Next-Generation Sequencing

Infectious complications are a leading cause of death for patients with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP). Yet, our knowledge about details of the blood microbial landscape in SAP patients remains limited. Recently, some studies have reported that the peripheral circulation harbors a diverse bacterial community in healthy and septic subjects. The objective of this study was to examine the presence of the blood bacterial microbiome in SAP patients and its potential role in the development of infectious complications. Here we conducted a prospective observational study on a cohort of 50 SAP patients and 12 healthy subjects to profile the bacterial composition in the blood. The patients were subgrouped into uninfected (n = 17), infected (n = 16), and septic (n = 17) cases. Applying 16S rDNA-based next-generation sequencing technique, we investigated blood and neutrophil-associated microbiomes in SAP patients, and assessed their connections with immunological alterations. Based on the sequencing data, a diverse bacterial microbiota was found in peripheral blood and neutrophils from the healthy and SAP subjects. As compared to healthy controls, the blood and neutrophil-associated microbiomes in the patients were significantly altered, with an expansion in Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes as well as a decrease in Actinobacteria. Variations in the microbiome composition in patients were associated with immunological disorders, including altered lymphocyte subgroups, elevated levels of serum cytokines and altered proteomic profiles of neutrophils. However, no significant compositional difference was observed between the patient subgroups, implying that the microbiota alterations might not be linked to presence/absence of infectious complications in SAP. Together, we present an initial description of the blood and neutrophil-associated bacterial profiles in SAP patients, offering novel evidence for the existence of the blood microbiome. Identification of the blood microbiome provides novel insights into characteristics and diagnostics of bacteremia in the patients. Further study is required to assess the possible implications of the blood microbiome in health and diseases.