Differences in gut microbiota composition between obese and lean children: a cross-sectional study

Gut Pathogens

Vanessa Vankerckhoven⁵  Kristine N Desager¹  Herman Goossens⁵  Carl Vael²  Niel Hens⁵  Caroline Van Noten⁴  Ineke Kortleven⁴  Kim Van Hoorenbeeck¹  Liene Bervoets³ 

[1] Department of Pediatrics, Antwerp University Hospital, Antwerp, Belgium;Department of Microbiology, Klina Hospital, Antwerp, Belgium;Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Hasselt University, Agoralaan 1-Building D, Diepenbeek, 3590, Belgium;Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium;Vaccine & Infectious Disease Institute, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium

关键词: Children;    Obesity;    Bacteroides fragilis group;    MALDI-TOF MS;    16S rDNA;    Gut microbiota;   

Others  :  821521
DOI  :  10.1186/1757-4749-5-10

 received in 2013-03-18, accepted in 2013-04-23,  发布年份 2013

【 摘 要 】

Background

An altered gut microbiota composition has recently been linked to obesity. The principal aim of this study is to investigate and compare the gut microbiota composition in obese and lean children. Secondly, associations between analysed gut bacterial species, dietary compounds, energy intake and biochemical blood parameters are evaluated.

Methods

In this prospective cross-sectional study, 26 overweight/obese (mean BMI: 28.7 ± 6.5) and 27 lean (mean BMI: 16.5 ± 2.1) children aged 6 to 16 were included. Faecal samples were collected and subjected to selective plating and quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) in order to determine the concentrations of bacterial species belonging to the genera: Bacteroides, Bifidobacterium, Clostridium, Staphylococcus and Lactobacillus. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) was applied for an in-depth identification of species of Bacteroides fragilis group. Differences in the concentrations of gut bacterial species between obese and lean children were statistically analysed using Mann Whitney U test. Subsequently, random forest analysis and multiple linear regression analysis were performed in order to test associations between gut bacterial species, dietary compounds and blood parameters.

Results

Obese children showed an elevated Firmicutes-to-Bacteroidetes ratio compared with lean children. Furthermore, low relative proportions of B. vulgatus and high concentrations of Lactobacillus spp. were observed in the obese microbiota. In all children, Staphylococcus spp. were positively associated with energy intake. Additionally, in obese children, Lactobacillus spp. were positively associated with plasma hs-CRP.

Conclusions

Our findings corroborate a significant difference in the gut microbiota composition of important bacterial species between obese and lean children. In future, non-invasive manipulation of gut microbiota composition in early infancy could offer a new approach to manage childhood obesity and associated disorders.

【 授权许可】

   
2013 Bervoets et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

【 图 表 】

Figure 1.

Figure 2.

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