Need Help?

Microbiota and Complications in Kidney Transplant Recipients

In this study, we investigated the role of the gut microbiota on the development of complications in kidney transplant recipients. We collected serial fecal specimens from 168 kidney transplant recipients within the first 3 months after transplantation. We performed 16S rRNA gene sequencing of the V4-V5 hypervariable region and examined whether the relative gut abundance of pathogenic bacteria was associated with future development of complications like bacteriuria and urinary tract infections. In a subset of samples, we performed metagenomic sequencing of stool and urine supernatant specimens to determine strain level analysis. We collected an additional 5 fecal specimens from 5 kidney transplant recipients to evaluate the gut microbiota's ability to convert inactive mycophenolic acid glucuronide to active mycophenolic acid and fecal specimens from one kidney transplant recipient several years after transplantation.