Gut dysbiosis associated with stroke-associated pneumonia

Identifying risks of stroke-associated pneumonia (SAP) is important for clinical management. Changes in the composition of gut microbiome in acute ischaemic stroke (AIS) patients have been reported but little large scale studies performed in China have demonstrated the association between gut dysbiosis and SAP in AIS patients. With two independent patient cohorts, this paper demonstrated and confirmed that a disrupted gut microbial community characterized with significant depleted Roseburia and enriched opportunistic pathogen was consistently observed at early acute stage in patients who further developed SAP. This dysbiosis was an independent risk factor of SAP and gut Roseburia was a protective factor against SAP. Our findings brings new light on the novel risks of dysbiotic gut microbiota for stroke-associated pneumonia and provides clues for future treatment of stroke via monitoring and targeting at the gut microbiota.