Characteristics of disordered gut microbiota and serum metabolome alterations in sepsis-induced coagulopathy

This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of gut microbiota dysbiosis and alterations in the serum metabolome in patients with sepsis-induced coagulopathy (SIC). Fecal and serum samples were collected from eight patients with SIC and eight patients with sepsis. The gut microbiota and serum metabolites were analyzed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS), respectively. Patients with SIC exhibited significantly higher APACHE II and SOFA scores than those in the sepsis group. Gut microbiota analysis revealed a significant difference in β-diversity between the SIC and sepsis groups. The SIC group showed increased relative abundance of several taxa, including Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Clostridia, Gammaproteobacteria, Oscillospirales, Enterobacterales, Ruminococcaceae, Enterobacteriaceae, and Klebsiella. Serum metabolomic analysis revealed that levels of itaconic acid, mesaconic acid, trans‑aconitic acid, and inosine were significantly decreased in patients with SIC compared with those with sepsis. This study characterizes the specific signatures of gut microbiota dysbiosis and serum metabolome alterations in patients with SIC, providing multi-omics evidence to elucidate the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms of this disorder. Not applicable.