Gut microbiota profiling in healthy individuals and in patients with premature coronary artery disease

BACKGROUND Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) including coronary artery diseases (CAD) are the major cause of death in Oman and worldwide. The risk factors of CVDs include both metabolic and behavioral risk factors. Disturbed gut microbiota composition, known as dysbiosis, has been proposed as an additional CVD risk factor. Gut microbiota act as an endocrine organ that secretes a number of essential metabolites which regulates host metabolism and can be atheroprotective. Thus, altered composition of the gut microbiota has been found to involve in the pathogenesis of CVDs. Modulation of gut microbiota in CVD patients is considered an effective strategy to prevent disease progression. Metabolites secreted by normal gut bacteria can be used as potential therapeutic targets and useful diagnostic markers. AIM This study aims to characterize the gut microbiota composition in healthy individuals and patients with premature CAD and to profile the circulating levels of microbial metabolites in the study participants. METHODS The proposed study will be conducted using stool and serum samples that are already available from a previously conducted case-control study which included patients with confirmed premature acute coronary artery disease (n=90) and healthy subjects (n=180). Gut microbiota will be profiled using 16S RNA sequencing of bacterial strains in the stool samples. Microbiota-specific metabolites will be measured in the serum samples. OUTCOMES Since there is no existing knowledge about gut microbiome in patients with premature CAD, this study will contribute to establishing microbial profile in the gut of patients with premature CAD. Moreover, through metabolite analysis, the study might help in identifying novel microbial metabolites that can be used as biomarkers for the occurrence of premature CAD