Recanalization
therapy is the most effective treatment for eligible patients with
acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Gut microbiota are involved in the pathological mechanisms and outcomes of AIS. However, the association of gut microbiota features with adverse recanalization
therapy outcomes remains unclear. Herein, we investigated gut microbiota features associated with neurological deficits in patients with AIS after recanalization
therapy and whether they predict the patients' functional outcomes. We collected fecal samples from 51 patients with AIS who received recanalization
therapy and performed
16S rRNA gene sequencing (V3-V4). We compared the gut microbiota diversity and community composition between mild to moderate and severe disability groups. Next, the characteristic gut microbiota was compared between groups, and we noted that the characteristic gut microbiota in patients with mild to moderate disability included Bilophila, Butyricimonas, Oscillospiraceae_UCG-003, and Megamonas. Moreover, the relative abundance of Bacteroides fragilis, Fusobacterium sp., and Parabacteroides gordonii was high in patients with severe disability. The characteristic gut microbiota was correlated with neurological deficits, and areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves confirmed that the characteristic microbiota predicted adverse recanalization
therapy outcomes. In conclusion, gut microbiota characteristics are correlated with recanalization
therapy outcomes in patients with AIS. Gut microbiota may thus be a promising
biomarker associated with early neurological deficits and predict recanalization
therapy outcomes.