Intestinal dysbiosis was associated with altered short-chain fatty acid metabolites in children with sepsis, but these findings were not linked directly to mitochondrial or immunologic changes. More detailed mechanistic studies are needed to test the role of microbial-derived short-chain fatty acids in the progression of sepsis.

Stool and plasma samples were serially collected for sepsis patients; stool was collected once for controls.

The intestinal microbiome was assessed using 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing and alpha- and beta-diversity were determined.

We measured short-chain fatty acids using liquid chromatography, peripheral blood mononuclear cell mitochondrial respiration using high-resolution respirometry, and immune function using ex vivo lipopolysaccharide-stimulated whole blood tumor necrosis factor-α.

Sepsis patients exhibited reduced microbial diversity compared with healthy controls, with lower alpha- and beta-diversity.

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