Reproducibility of assessing fecal microbiota in chronic constipation

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Microbiome Research
• Clinical Diagnostics

Background:

• Limited data exist on fecal microbiota stability in constipated individuals.
• Understanding intraindividual variability is crucial for accurate microbiome analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the intraindividual reproducibility of fecal microbiota in constipated patients.
• To compare microbiota stability between constipated patients and healthy controls.

Main Methods:

• 16S rRNA gene sequencing was used to analyze fecal microbiota from two stool samples per participant.
• Participants included 25 healthy individuals and 25 women with constipation.
• Colonic transit time was measured using scintigraphy.

Main Results:

• Intraindividual reproducibility (high ICCs) for fecal microbiota was observed in both healthy individuals and constipated patients.
• Microbiota diversity measures showed moderate to strong agreement between stool samples.
• Unweighted UniFrac distances were more reproducible than weighted measures.

Conclusions:

• Fecal microbiota in constipated patients is highly reproducible, comparable to healthy individuals.
• A single stool sample is generally adequate for microbiome studies in both populations.
• These findings support the reliability of fecal microbiota analysis in clinical research.