Association between intestinal microflora and renal function in patients with chronic renal failure: A case-control analysis

Haixia Chen; Xiaoxiao Xie; Shuming Tang

doi:10.12669/pjms.40.1.8194

Haixia Chen
Xiaoxiao Xie
Shuming Tang Shenzhen People’s Hospital, The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University； The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology

DOI: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.40.1.8194

Keywords: Chronic renal failure, Intestinal flora, Structural change, Renal function, GFR, BUN, SCr, CysC

Abstract

Objective: To identify the association between the changes in intestinal microflora and renal function in patients with chronic renal failure (CRF).

Methods: This retrospective case-control study included 50 patients with CRF (study group), admitted to the Clinical Laboratory Department of Shenzhen People’s Hospital from March 2021 to May 2022, and 50 healthy individuals (control group). The association between the distribution of intestinal microflora and the glomerular filtration rate (GFR), levels of serum creatinine (SCr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and serum cystatin C (CysC) were analyzed.

Results: Intestinal microflora of CRF patients had significantly higher levels of Enterococci compared to the control group (p-Value <0.05), while the levels of Bifidobacterium spp. and Escherichia coli were lower in the study group (p-Value <0.05). GFR was lower, and the levels of BUN, SCr, and CysC were higher in the study group compared to the control group (all p-Value <0.05). GFR, BUN, SCr and CysC levels in the study group negatively correlated with the levels of Bifidobacterium spp. and Lactobacillus spp. (r<0, P<0.05), and positively correlated with the abundance of Enterococcus spp. and Escherichia coli (r>0, P<0.05) in the intestinal microflora.

Conclusions: Changes in intestinal microbiota are associated with a significant decrease in GFR and a marked increase in serum levels of renal function indicators, and alterations in the balance of intestinal microbiota may lead to further aggravation of the renal function damage in patients with CRF.

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.40.1.8194

How to cite this: Chen H, Xie X, Tang S. Association between intestinal microflora and renal function in patients with chronic renal failure: A case-control analysis. Pak J Med Sci. 2024;40(1):174-178. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.40.1.8194

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