1.
Gut microbiota associations with common diseases and prescription medications in a population-based cohort.
Jackson, MA, Verdi, S, Maxan, ME, Shin, CM, Zierer, J, Bowyer, RCE, Martin, T, Williams, FMK, Menni, C, Bell, JT, et al
Nature communications. 2018;9(1):2655
-
-
-
Free full text
Plain language summary
The human gut microbiome has been associated with many health and disease states. Our knowledge is growing in relation to the abundance of particular bacteria and certain diseases, as well as the effects of certain medications on the profile of the gut microbiome. This population based cohort study using the UKTwins data set aimed to assess the associations between 38 common diseases and 51 prescription medications with the gut microbiome. 17 diseases had significant associations with at least one microbiota marker, including Type 2 diabetes, constipation, IBS, IBD, Coeliac Disease, food allergy, urinary incontinence, acne and osteoarthritis. Reduced microbiota diversity was found to be the most significant factor for disease states, having exclusively negative effects. Few associations were found for anxiety, respiratory diseases and hypercholesterolaemia. Significant associations were observed between 19 medications and the gut microbiome, including PPIs, antibiotics, paracetamol, opioids, SSRIs, and inhaled anticholinergics. The authors conclude that a complex mixture of disease and medication-specific effects are responsible for the observed microbiota associations.
Abstract
The human gut microbiome has been associated with many health factors but variability between studies limits exploration of effects between them. Gut microbiota profiles are available for >2700 members of the deeply phenotyped TwinsUK cohort, providing a uniform platform for such comparisons. Here, we present gut microbiota association analyses for 38 common diseases and 51 medications within the cohort. We describe several novel associations, highlight associations common across multiple diseases, and determine which diseases and medications have the greatest association with the gut microbiota. These results provide a reference for future studies of the gut microbiome and its role in human health.
2.
Gut microbiota varies by opioid use, circulating leptin and oxytocin in African American men with diabetes and high burden of chronic disease.
Barengolts, E, Green, SJ, Eisenberg, Y, Akbar, A, Reddivari, B, Layden, BT, Dugas, L, Chlipala, G
PloS one. 2018;13(3):e0194171
-
-
-
Free full text
Plain language summary
Obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D) can lead to alterations of the composition of the gut microbiota. The gut microbiota, in turn, has been suggested to play a role in the development of psychological conditions, such as anxiety, depression and drug addiction. This cross-sectional study included 99 mostly overweight/obese African American men, with or without T2D, and with or without opioid addiction and other psychiatric disorders. The aim of the study was to determine, whether the gut microbiota composition was linked to T2D and the use of opioids in these patients. Furthermore, the researchers looked at the associations between leptin and oxytocin levels in the blood and the gut microbiota, and whether these hormone biomarkers could be indicative of obesity and psychosocial behaviour, such as opioid addiction. The authors found that some bacterial species in the gut were affected by T2D, diabetes medication and opioid use in the studied subjects. A relationship was also observed between leptin and oxytocin levels and the abundance of certain bacteria in the gut in subjects without T2D. The authors conclude that targeting the gut microbiota could be used for the management of T2D and associated psychiatric disorders. However, more studies are needed to provide further understanding of the connections between the gut microbiota and the brain.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The gut microbiota is known to be related to type 2 diabetes (T2D), psychiatric conditions, and opioid use. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that variability in gut microbiota in T2D is associated with psycho-metabolic health. METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted among African American men (AAM) (n = 99) that were outpatients at a Chicago VA Medical Center. The main outcome measures included fecal microbiota ecology (by 16S rRNA gene sequencing), psychiatric disorders including opioid use, and circulating leptin and oxytocin as representative hormone biomarkers for obesity and psychological pro-social behavior. RESULTS The study subjects had prevalent overweight/obesity (78%), T2D (50%) and co-morbid psychiatric (65%) and opioid use (45%) disorders. In the analysis of microbiota, the data showed interactions of opioids, T2D and metformin with Bifidobacterium and Prevotella genera. The differential analysis of Bifidobacterium stratified by opioids, T2D and metformin, showed significant interactions among these factors indicating that the effect of one factor was changed by the other (FDR-adjusted p [q] < 0.01). In addition, the pair-wise comparison showed that participants with T2D not taking metformin had a significant 6.74 log2 fold increase in Bifidobacterium in opioid users as compared to non-users (q = 2.2 x 10-8). Since metformin was not included in this pair-wise comparison, the significant 'q' suggested association of opioid use with Bifidobacterium abundance. The differences in Bifidobacterium abundance could possibly be explained by opioids acting as organic cation transporter 1 (OCT1) inhibitors. Analysis stratified by lower and higher leptin and oxytocin (divided by the 50th percentile) in the subgroup without T2D showed lower Dialister in High-Leptin vs. Low-Leptin (p = 0.03). Contrary, the opposite was shown for oxytocin, higher Dialister in High-Oxytocin vs. Low-Oxytocin (p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS The study demonstrated for the first time that Bifidobacterium and Prevotella abundance was affected by interactions of T2D, metformin and opioid use. Also, in subjects without T2D Dialister abundance varied according to circulating leptin and oxytocin.
3.
Gut microbiome alterations in Alzheimer's disease.
Vogt, NM, Kerby, RL, Dill-McFarland, KA, Harding, SJ, Merluzzi, AP, Johnson, SC, Carlsson, CM, Asthana, S, Zetterberg, H, Blennow, K, et al
Scientific reports. 2017;7(1):13537
-
-
-
Free full text
Plain language summary
Research into what causes Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is on-going, including a proposal for a potential role of human bacterial profiles. This cross-sectional study of 25 patients diagnosed with AD and 25 individuals with no AD diagnosis (matched for age, sex, ethnicity, BMI and diabetes status) aimed to compare the gut microbiome between AD and non-AD states using faecal samples. The researchers found that the gut microbiome of the AD patients was less diverse and compositionally distinct from the age-matched control group. In particular, the AD group had decreased Firmicutes and Bifidobacterium and increased Bacteriodetes compared with control. This small study suggests therefore that the gut microbiome may be a target for therapeutic manipulation when working with patients with AD.
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia. However, the etiopathogenesis of this devastating disease is not fully understood. Recent studies in rodents suggest that alterations in the gut microbiome may contribute to amyloid deposition, yet the microbial communities associated with AD have not been characterized in humans. Towards this end, we characterized the bacterial taxonomic composition of fecal samples from participants with and without a diagnosis of dementia due to AD. Our analyses revealed that the gut microbiome of AD participants has decreased microbial diversity and is compositionally distinct from control age- and sex-matched individuals. We identified phylum- through genus-wide differences in bacterial abundance including decreased Firmicutes, increased Bacteroidetes, and decreased Bifidobacterium in the microbiome of AD participants. Furthermore, we observed correlations between levels of differentially abundant genera and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers of AD. These findings add AD to the growing list of diseases associated with gut microbial alterations, as well as suggest that gut bacterial communities may be a target for therapeutic intervention.