Potential role of gut microbiota in patients with COVID-19, its relationship with lung axis, central nervous system (CNS) axis, and improvement with probiotic therapy

Nazanin Alibeik; Elham Pishgar; Ramin Bozorgmehr; Farshad Aghaaliakbari; Neda Rahimian

doi:10.18502/ijm.v14i1.8794

Nazanin Alibeik Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Firoozgar Hospital, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Elham Pishgar Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Ramin Bozorgmehr Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Shahid Madani Hospital, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran
Farshad Aghaaliakbari Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Firoozgar Hospital, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Neda Rahimian Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Firoozgar Hospital, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/ijm.v14i1.8794

Keywords: Coronavirus disease 2019; Gut microbiota; Lung axis; Central nervous system; Probiotic

Abstract

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a pandemic disease caused by a new corona virus. COVID-19 affects different people in different ways. COVID-19 could affect the gastrointestinal system via gut microbiota impairment. Gut microbiota could affect lung health through a relationship between gut and lung microbiota, which is named gut-lung axis. Gut microbi- ota impairment plays a role in pathogenesis of various pulmonary disease states, so GI diseases were found to be associated with respiratory diseases. Moreover, most infected people will develop mild to moderate gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, and stomachache, which is caused by impairment in gut microbiota. Therefore, the current study aimed to review potential role of gut microbiota in patients with COVID-19, its relation with lung axis, Central Nervous System (CNS) axis and improvement with probiotic therapy. Also, this review can be a guide for potential role of gut microbiota in patients with COVID-19.