Donor Microbiota Features Associated With Liver Transplant Recipient Infectious Complications: A Pilot Study Using Deep Intestinal Sampling During Liver Procurement

Abstract

Background: The gut microbiota of living organ donors has been linked to transplant outcomes. However, little is known about the characteristics of the deceased donor gut microbiota or its potential impact on recipient outcomes. Methods: We analyzed the deep intestinal microbiota from 24 deceased donors. Samples included luminal stool from the right and left colon as well as bile. Microbial composition was characterized using 16S V4 rRNA sequencing. α- and β-diversity analyses were performed to compare microbial communities between donor enteric sites and against stool samples from 28 healthy community controls, 14 critically ill intensive care comparators, and 12 matched liver transplant re..