Metagenomic Analysis of the Gut Microbiota of a Hypertensive Population. Metagenomic Analysis of the Gut Microbiota of a Hypertensive Population

Hypertension is the most common chronic disease, with a complex and varying etiology. This study was designed to investigate the correlation between hypertension and gut microbiota alterations. From the collected 133 samples, 19 were selected for metagenomic sequencing using the Propensity Score Matching (PSM) method, containing 7 hypertensive cases (HTN) and 12 control cases (CON). The DESeq2 package was used to analyze species differences and screen for biomarkers of hypertension. Swissprot protein abundance information, GO gene function information and KEGG metabolic pathway information of sample genes were obtained using known annotations. STAMP software was also used for between-group differential analysis. Anosim diversity analysis showed greater between-group differences than within-group differences. At the phylum level, the dominant differential microbiota between the two groups were Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes. The microbiota biomarkers of the hypertension group included Prevotella, Veillonella, Klebsiella, Proteus, etc. Differential analysis of KEGG metabolic pathways showed significant downregulation of bile acid biosynthesis, D-glutamine, and D-glutamate metabolic pathways in the hypertension group. There were differences in the composition and abundance of gut microbiota between the two groups, suggesting that gut microbiota may be an effective intervention tool for regulating blood pressure.