Stool samples will be collected from people with no, mild-moderate or severe pulmonary arterial hypertension. Bacterial DNA will be extracted from the feces and sequenced by whole genome sequencing (shotgun sequencing). The DNA sequences will be used to identify the bacteria present in the feces, and to model the functions of the gut microbial community in each of the three groups. This will test for gut dysbiosis in pulmonary arterial hypertensive patients compared to healthy subjects. Gut dysbiosis is a condition where the gut bacterial communities are unbalanced and has been implicated in disease processes.
In subjects recruited in the USA, blood samples will be tested for markers of gut leakiness and inflammation as well as gut bacterial metabolites found in the circulation.
