(P19-041-25) Exploring Effects of a Probiotic Lung Support on Gut-Lung Axis in Elderly Pneumonia Patients: An RCT

Objectives: To evaluate gut microbiota and its association with the incidence and severity of pneumonia in the elderly with and without probiotic formulation.

Methods: Elderly patients aged ≥60 admitted to ICUs with pneumonia were recruited—fecal 16S rRNA was analyzed. Microbiota composition was compared across time points and between placebo and resB treatment groups. A linear mixed-effects model assessed the effect of resB on taxa abundance.

Results: The linear mixed-effects model revealed that Collinsella (p=0.02) and Eggerthella lenta (p=0.08) increased in the placebo group on Day 15. Blautia abundance was higher on Day 30 in the resB group. Within the resB group, B longum (p=0.08) increased significantly on Day 30. Pairwise comparisons showed reductions in Corynebacterium (p=0.06) and Staphylococcus (p=0.07) within the resB group, while Streptococcus was significantly higher in the placebo group on Day 15.

Conclusions: An increase in opportunistic pathogens (Collinsella and Eggerthella lenta) in the placebo group suggests that resB supplementation may protect the gut microbiota. The rise in butyrate-producing Blautia in the resB group supports enhanced short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production, indicative of improved host immunity. Reductions in pneumonia-associated bacteria (Staphylococcus and Streptococcus) and Corynebacterium in the resB group highlight their potential role in mitigating pneumonia severity.

Funding Sources: ResBiotic Inc