Evidence mapPaperPMID 40087795Full record

ArticleJournal of translational medicine2025

Gut Microbiome dysbiosis and immune activation correlate with somatic and neuropsychiatric symptoms in COVID-19 patients.

Paula L Scalzo, Austin G Marshall, Sirena Soriano, Kristen Curry, Mario Dulay, Timea Hodics, Eamonn M M Quigley, Todd J Treangen, María M Piskorz, Sonia Villapol

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of translational medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Review
  6. Microbiome and Long COVID-19: Current Evidence and Insights.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025
    Review
  7. Article
  8. A Rare Case of Small Bowel Ulceration Induced by COVID-19.Journal of inflammation research · 2025
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Paula L Scalzo *Department of Neurosurgery, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, USA.
Austin G Marshall *Department of Neurosurgery, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, USA.
Sirena SorianoDepartment of Neurosurgery, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, USA.
Kristen CurryDepartment of Computer Science, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA.
Mario DulayDepartment of Neurosurgery, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, USA.
Timea HodicsDepartment of Neurosurgery, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, USA.
Eamonn M M QuigleyLynda K. and David M. Underwood Center for Digestive Health, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX, USA.
Todd J TreangenDepartment of Computer Science, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA.
María M PiskorzDepartment of Neurogastroenterology, Hospital de Clinicas José de San Martin, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Sonia VillapolDepartment of Neurosurgery, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, USA. svillapol@houstonmethodist.org.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6174-4113

Funding

TRAINING PROGRAM IN COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY AND MEDICINET15LM007093 · RICE UNIVERSITY · 1992 to 2025
$4.5M
Gulf Coast Consortia T15LM007093NIA NIH HHS R56AG080920NINDS NIH HHS R21NS106640NLM NIH HHS T15 LM007093
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundInfection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, can lead to a range of physical symptoms and mental health challenges, including stress, anxiety, and depression. These effects are particularly pronounced in hospitalized patients, likely due to the virus's direct and indirect impact on the nervous system. Gut dysbiosis, an imbalance in the gut microbiome, has been implicated in immune dysfunction and chronic inflammation in COVID-19 patients. However, the interactions between gut microbiome composition and the physical and mental symptoms of COVID-19 remain incompletely understood.

methodsWe investigated the association between physical and mental symptoms, cytokine profiles, and gut microbiota composition in 124 hospitalized COVID-19 patients. We collected data on demographics, COVID-19 severity, and mental health indicators (stress, anxiety, and depression). Gut microbiome profiling was performed using full-length 16 S rRNA gene sequencing to evaluate microbial diversity and composition.

resultsCOVID-19 severity was categorized as low (27.4%), moderate (29.8%), or critical (42.8%). Common symptoms included fever (66.1%) and cough (55.6%), while somatic symptoms (27.3%), anxiety (27.3%), depressive symptoms (39%), and stress (80.5%) were frequently self-reported. Elevated interleukin-6 levels in severe cases highlighted systemic inflammation, reduced gut bacterial diversity, particularly among women and obese patients, correlated with higher disease severity. Notably, the genus Mitsuokella was associated with increased physical symptoms and mental distress, while Granulicatella was linked to critical illness.

conclusionsOur findings reveal significant associations between mental health status, systemic inflammation, and gut dysbiosis in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. These results indicate the potential for microbiome-targeted therapies to mitigate psychological and physical complications and improve recovery outcomes in this population.

Indexed as

COVID-19DysbiosisGastrointestinal MicrobiomeAdultAgedAnxietyCytokinesDepressionFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedSARS-CoV-2CytokinesAnxietyCOVID-19CytokinesDepressionGut dysbiosisGut microbiomeInflammationMental healthMicrobiome-targeted therapiesSARS-CoV-2

Identifiers

PMID40087795
PMCPMC11907868

What Socratic holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.