gut microbiota and metabolic functions to the antibody response to the BBIBP-CorV vaccine. Correlation of gut microbiota and metabolic functions to the antibody response to the BBIBP-CorV vaccine

Increasing evidence indicates that the gut microbiota may play a key role in vaccination immunity. Here, we investigate whether the human gut microbiota and metabolic function correlate with the inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine (BBIBP-CorV, CNBG) response. A total of 207 participants who received the BBIBP-CorV vaccine at Days 0 and 28 were enrolled. The gut microbiome and related metabolic functions were investigated using metagenomic sequencing and metabolomic assays. We found that BBIBP-CorV vaccination was accompanied by altered gut microbiome composition and functional pathways, and the gut microbiome and its functional profiles correlated with the vaccine response. Targeted metabolomic analysis showed that the fecal and serum levels of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) were much higher in the high antibody response group compared to the low response group after vaccination, and several SCFAs displayed a positive correlation with the ACE2-RBD inhibiting antibody response. Our study highlights that gut microbiome and its function is associated with the BBIBP-CorV vaccine response, providing evidence for further exploration of microbiome modulation to improve COVID-19 vaccine efficacy.