Gut Microbiota Markers in Obese Adolescent and Adult Patients: Age-Dependent Differential Patterns

Abstract

Obesity levels, especially in children, have dramatically increased over the last few decades. Recently, several studies highlighted the involvement of gut microbiota in the pathophysiology of obesity. We investigated the composition of gut microbiota in obese adolescents and adults compared to age-matched normal weight (NW) volunteers in order to assemble age- and obesity-related microbiota profiles. The composition of gut microbiota was analyzed by 16S rRNA-based metagenomics. Ecological representations of microbial communities were computed, and univariate, multivariate, and correlation analyses performed on bacterial profiles. The prediction of metagenome functional content from 16S rRNA gene surveys was carried out. Ecological analyses revealed a dissimilarity among the subgroups, and resultant microbiota profiles differed between obese adolescents and adults. Using statistical analyses, we assigned, as microbial markers, Faecalibacterium prausnitzii and Actinomyces to the microbiota of obese adolescents, and Parabacteroides, Rikenellaceae, Bacteroides caccae, Barnesiellaceae, and Oscillospira to the microbiota of NW adolescents. The predicted metabolic profiles resulted different in adolescent groups. Particularly, biosynthesis of primary bile acid and steroid acids, metabolism of fructose, mannose, galactose, butanoate, and pentose phosphate and glycolysis/gluconeogenesis were for the majority associated to obese, while biosynthesis and metabolism of glycan, biosynthesis of secondary bile acid, metabolism of steroid hormone and lipoic acid were associated to NW adolescents. Our study revealed unique features of gut microbiota in terms of ecological patterns, microbial composition and metabolism in obese patients. The assignment of novel obesity bacterial markers may open avenues for the development of patient-tailored treatments dependent on age-related microbiota profiles.

A pilot study to examine the association between human gut microbiota and the host's central obesity

“…The observation of lower relative abundances of Anaerofilum , Gemellaceae , Streptococcaceae , and Rikenellaceae in the obese group is consistent with the report by Del Chierico et al , which demonstrated higher levels of Rikenellaceae in individuals of average weight compared to overweight subjects . However, contrary to a previous report, the relative abundance of Streptococcaceae was higher in mice with NASH on a high‐fat diet.…”

The Regulatory Effects of a Formulation of Cinnamomum osmophloeum Kaneh and Taiwanofungus camphoratus on Metabolic Syndrome and the Gut Microbiome

“…increases in the overweight phenotype [49]. Moreover, high abundance of Blautia is associated with glucose intolerance and the presence of Blautia is positively correlated with Type 2 diabetes [50,51]. Our data were consistent with this result and indicated that CO/TC might suppress Mucispirillum and Blautia colonization in the intestine which may have a beneficial effect.…”

Influence of Sex on Urinary Organic Acids: A Cross-Sectional Study in Children

“…Undigested food is fermented by the gut microbiota producing various microbial metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids such as acetate, propionate, azelate, while others may be co-produced by bacteria and by the host such as butyrate and hippurate [52][53][54][55]. In particular, intestinal micro-organisms produce benzoate [56,57], that the host conjugates with glycine through glycine N-acyltransferase [58], whose gene is less expressed in women than in men [59].…”